


It Goes Round & Round

by Icanloveyoumorethanthis



Series: Sweeter Than Sweet [3]
Category: EXO (Band), NCT (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Dark, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 14:08:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 44,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11715948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icanloveyoumorethanthis/pseuds/Icanloveyoumorethanthis
Summary: Luhan's life was about to change. And not because he met that annoying super model Sehun. There is something inside tha old house he's trying to buy antiques from. There are living secrets that are too dangerous to discover, even more than falling in love with Sehun. Meanwill, Jaehyun has to hide the fact that he lives in the same house as his best friend's idol, Sehun, while he gets involved with the school's bad boy, Taeyong and his friend, Jungkook, who makes a deal with the class's president, Taehyung.





	It Goes Round & Round

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiii!!!!
> 
> This is the final story of the series. Hoped you liked it and thank you for reading it!! Sorry, it took so long to finish. This one has the conclusion of the previous stories, plus new ones as well. Some characters have a cameo here and there, just for fun.
> 
> The distances and times are approximately, as well as ages. I may have massed up the ages of Taeyong, Jaehyun, Mark, Jungkook and Taehyung, but I tried to have them all in the same class.
> 
> For Hyukbin fans, I’ve got a treat, Hongbin’s POV!! Hope you like it.
> 
> The old farm house is western style. I didn’t think that a traditional Korean would have worked for the plot.
> 
> I tried to write the bullying issue as well as I could. I’m sorry if it didn’t come out really good, or if someone was offended. I watched School 2013 to get ideas. Plus, the Jungkook story was inspired slightly from the manga Orange.
> 
> If some things seem a little out of the blue, just keep reading, I explain them further down (I hope it makes sense).
> 
> PS while the stories are individual and different from the previous parts, the main story is explained throughout all of them. So i think it would be better if you read also the other two stories :)

**It goes round and round**

…There was no window when she moved us in the basement. I remember that my grandmother’s home had small, thin windows near the ceiling. They would create columns of cold white light, revealing all the dust that was sailing the thick air of the room. I was thankful that at least this room didn’t resample the one of my past. I didn’t want my fond childhood memories to be stained by this nightmare.

                It wasn’t a surprise anymore when she unlocked the door and commanded us to move downstairs and be quite. Sometimes, we could hear footsteps dancing up and down the first floor, indicating that another person was up there with her. Another monster like her? Another captive? The new guy thought that it was simply hope. He jumped up from the floor where he was sitting, his eyes all bright. It was the first time I have seen him smile. She had brought him recently and he was still new to all of this. Usually, she keeps her pets elsewhere and only moves them here when she has no other choice. At least, that’s what Jongin, the oldest one here, not by age but by days under her “care”, had figured out. But she brought this one way too soon. And he still believed that he could escape the horror. Truthfully, I envied him. He hadn’t lost the spark yet, the will to live normally. Jongin had settled with his new fate before she moved me here, after my prison has gone up in flames. I don’t remember how she did it, but she crawled out of the blazing hell, carrying me with her. Before the police could reach her.

                “Do you hear that? There’s someone up there,” the boy said happily and started screaming for help, banging his fists on the metal door.

                “You want to die? Stop that!” I tried to stop him, but he pushed me away. He still had his physical strength, unlike us.

                “You crazy? Why don’t you try to escape?” he asked me. He didn’t even bother look over to Jongin. He was staring at the wall, emotionless. But he knew that Jongin had given up. However, there was still hope for me. I had one reason to live. I had told them about Hyuk, the person that changed my life. The only one who could make the most amazing cakes that they had ever tasted. Jongin didn’t share my enthusiasm.

                “I saved him,” he only murmured. “I don’t care about me, as long as he is safe.”               

                “I wish I had someone waiting for me when I go out,” the other guy said. “I broke up with my girlfriend a year ago.”

                You’ll find a new one, someone who would love you and care for you like there is none else for them, I wanted to tell him, but I halted. I didn’t want to give him hope. My chance had gone. At I least I saved him, I kept thinking, just like Jongin always said. But for me that wasn’t just enough. I kept dreaming about him, meeting him by chance while walking down the street, his hair perfectly pulled back, revealing his handsome face. When I woke up, I longed to see him again. How crazy was I?

                “She will get angry. Don’t make it worse for you!”

                But he didn’t listen to me. He glared at me for a few seconds and then decided that I was done for. I returned back next to Jongin, listening to the boy pleading for help. I should have helped him. But I was so tired of it. Hope is tiring, worse than her tortures. Because hope kept you up all night, expecting that things will change. And then, when that help is crashed, you are left empty.

                Sure thing, none came to save us. She came down a few hours later and got the boy with her.

He didn’t smile again.

                “Do you need a bandage or something?” I tried to help him, when she brought him back, all bleeding and bruised a day later. We never asked each other what happened in the torture room. We didn’t want to recall.     

                “I’m fine,” he said among tears.

                “Let him be for now. We’ll take care of him when he calms down,” Jongin said.

                “He would bleed to death,” I protested.              

                “She will never let that happen. Death is mercy and she has non for us,” Jongin said.

                “I’m okay Hongbin,” the boy murmured. I stared at him and tried to recall how he looked when he first arrived. I remembered his scared eyes, his sharp cheekbones and messy honey brown hair.  He was kidnapped while coming back from the company he worked, after having recoded a new guide song. He was majoring in music and he part timed signing the guide songs for a music company.

                She kept him in a basement apartment for some weeks, but the neighbors complained or something and had to move him quickly. Apparently, he was a troublemaker and didn’t submit easily as we did.

                “Taeil, I…” I’m sorry? Everything will be okay? Things will get better? I didn’t know what to tell him. “Let him treat your wounds, okay?”

                The boy nodded slowly, still crying. He never smiled again after that day. And I didn’t help him to change that. I feel most guilty for that. Because I was a hypocrite. I acted like Jongin and scolded Taeil when he resisted her, but deep down, I still had hoped. Deep down, in my heart I believed that I would see Hyuk again. …

                ######

The old man groaned and looked over to his secretary, who rushed to his side.

“Mister Lu, President Kim is not feeling well today,” the young man said and all the men in the hospital ward knew what that meant. Luhan had been visiting the president for the last month, and the later always felt tired or sick or bored. But he wasn’t going to give up. That vase was estimated to be from the Min dynasty given as a gift from the empire to the Joseon kings as a sign of peace. It was so precious that collectors would pay more than a fortune to have it.

“Sorry. It seems like I have to stay here for a little while,” Luhan told his father over the phone. His father had sent him to Korea to study history and artifacts and now Luhan was head of the Korean enterprises as he spoke the language well. Their family had been running an antique company for four generations now and they were considered one of the best in their country. Sure enough, Luhan had grown up among antiques and works of art, learning the trade straight from his grandfather. He spend endless hours studying history and how to recognize fake from real art, memorizing historical eras and names of creators and artists, as well as their signature techniques.

Till now, Luhan was traveling back and forth, discovering new art and buying it from their owners. But now his father wanted him to come back and start working for the headquarters. Luhan knew that he would inherit the empire one day, but he loved what he was doing right now. Of course, his father would never agree to it. That’s why he kept pestering him to wrap up everything and come back.

“Just give me some more time. I only need a few months tops. You can train someone else in the meantime to replace me,” Luhan said, walking down the empty hallway of the hospital.  His voice almost echoes down the wards, though his words never reached his father.

“You’re always postponing it. Just come back,” the man ordered.

“Father, please reconsider. This is for the best,” Luhan pleaded, hitting the elevator button a few times in frustration. No, that won’t work. Luhan had too much anger that needed to be channeled elsewhere and not the elevator.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Luhan said and hanged up before he heard his father’s reaction. He pulled open the door of the stairs and started climbing down quickly. He was at the fifth floor, at the VIP rooms, so he had many stairs to climb down.  Good. He needed the exercise.

He had to convince the old man to give him the vase. His father was growing frustrated and so did Luhan. Plus, he didn’t have much time. As soon as the man was out of the hospital, it would be extremely difficult to reach him.

Luhan fished his phone out of his coat’s pocket and quickly dialed his secretary’s number.

“Mister Lu,” the girl answered. “Did the chairman agree?”

“Not yet. Clear my schedule for tomorrow. I will camp outside his ward till he decides to talk to me.”

“But, mister Lu. You have the photo shoot tomorrow.”

Damn! Luhan had forgotten all about it. From time to time, their antiques were used for photo shoots for magazines and catalogues. Luhan had to be there and supervise the whole event, as the artifacts were very valuable. He didn’t really enjoy the process, as many of the models and the photographers didn’t appreciate the items and treated them just like any other set.

“What time is that?” Luhan asked, without trying to hide his annoyance.

“At noon. I have already updated your schedule with all the meetings and events you have to attend.”

“Does my father have access to it?”

“I think so. But he can’t possibly see your agenda in your mobile, and I have connected that with the one of your email, just in case.”

Clever girl, Luhan thought, when he almost stumbled on someone sitting on the steps. Luhan stopped just in time to avoid crushing on the man and taking him along with him down the stairs. However, his cell phone wasn’t that lucky, as the device was shot straight down. Luhan couldn’t see it properly, but he was sure that it was already in pieces.

Luhan stared at his broken phone as he mumbled “I’m sorry”.

“You should watch where you’re going! You almost ruined my cake!” the other person replied and Luhan looked at him for the first time. The man had a cake on his lap half eaten. And some of the frosting was splashed all over his face that looked annoyed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you sitting there,” Luhan said, taking a deep bow. The boy just stared at him. He had handsome features, with sharp jaw line and pale skin that matched his black shinny hair perfectly.

“Whatever,” the guy replied as Luhan started walking down the stairs. Luhan stopped and looked back at him. The guy continued eating his cake, all full of himself. Luhan had enough. He was already angry with the chairman, who kept him on hold, his father, who kept pressuring him and his schedule; he didn’t need this arrogant man to insult him like that.

“Hey, look here! I said I’m sorry already. Not that it was only my fault.”

“What do you mean it’s not your fault? You almost killed me, storming down the stairs like that!”

“You could have killed me as well. This is not a place for you to sit and eat your cake!”

“Why? It’s a public place, isn’t it? Whatever, just be thankful that I don’t ask you to pay me for the cake.”

“Your cake? What about my phone? You know how much it costs?”

“If you were able to afford one in the first place, you can buy one again.”

“You don’t know how I managed to buy it! Maybe I worked over time for months to be able to afford it.”

“Then you are a moron that spent his money on a cell phone that broke.”

“Look here, hippie. I don’t need life coaching from you. Just apologize and stop being so rude to others.”

“I’m not the rude one here.”

Luhan glared at the guy.  He wanted to let his anger somewhere, but his conversation with that guy made him even madder than before. He wanted to struggle the guy!

“You selfish pig…!” Luhan was about to start, when his ringtone filled the space, echoing up the floors. The guy raised one eyebrow. Luhan stamped down the stairs and picked his phone up. His secretary was calling. She had the worst timing!

“Hello, Nara. No, I’m fine. No, don’t ask. Just some people don’t have manners,” Luhan said way too loud for a normal phone call and walked down the stairs pretending to be calm. At least he recovered some of his pride. He had the last word on it, didn’t he? He just hoped never to encounter that guy again.

######

Jaehyun looked out of the window, as the town slowly grew into a metropolis, the grey growing wilder and wilder.

“Oh my God!” Mark called from the seat next to him, his eyes almost glued on the screen of his phone.

“What is it?” Jaehyun asked, taking his eyes off the melting street.

“Sehun just posted the most amazing selfie!” Mark replied, sticking the phone on Jaehyun’s nose.

“Mark, even if I wanted to I can’t see,” Jaehyun complained and Mark took the device, crashing the photo with his eyes. The boy was star struck by that Sehun guy for a year now. Jaehyun thought back then, when Mark announced that he had discovered a new model that he really liked, that the whole thing will be forgotten quickly as with everything that Mark got into. However his obsession for the Sehun guy had grown bigger and bigger as time passed.  And as a result, Mark applied to exchange schools and move to Korea, in hope to finally meet his idol. And of course, he had to drug Jaehyun along with him.

Not that Jaehyun was going to leave the younger boy to go and live alone in a strange country. He and Mark had grown up together, even though Mark was younger than him. But Jaehyun had missed two years of school, when his parents moved to the States, as he couldn’t speak English at all. So, they had been together for years, just like real brothers.

And yet, when Mark announced that he was moving, Jaehyun was surprised. Fortunately, he had family in Seoul and he was moving in with his older cousin, Junmyeon. Mark’s relatives were all from the countryside, but he still had his cousin, Minseok, that had offered to take him in, but Mark had refused, as Minseok was living at a seriously small apartment. So, Mark was going to live with a host family by himself. It was a big, life changing decision, but at least they were together.

“How can someone be so handsome!?” Mark grinned over the celebrity’s photos, and Jaehyun focused his gaze at the back of the seat in front of him. He was keeping a huge secret from his best friend and that made him feel sick. But he didn’t really have a choice. He knew it was for the best. He was so shocked when, while skyping with Junmyeon, that guy, Sehun, popped from behind Junmyeon and greeted him. His cousin laughed and explained that Sehun was his roommate ever since they were in college.

 Jaehyun knew from then that he should never let his friend and that guy meet, for everyone’s shake. But keeping them separated wasn’t that easy. He had to decline Junmyeon’s insisting offer to come and pick them up from the airport, fearing that the Sehun subject will come up sooner or later. Fortunately, his cousin had to work, as he was in the logistic department of his father’s company. Else he wouldn’t have been able to come up with a convincing excuse as to why one would prefer taking the bus over a ride in his cousin’s expensive car.

“Mark, remember what you promised, right?” Jaehyun said, eying him cautiously.

“Yes, yes. But…”

“No buts! We agreed that you won’t go around talking about that Sehun guy to everyone. And especially at school.”

“I know that it won’t be easy to feat in and everything, so don’t worry. Sehun will be my dirty little secret for only you and me to know,” Mark winked and gave Jaehyun his phone to hold as he was adjusting his skateboard on his lap. Jaehyun looked at the screensaver and sighted. It would be a long semester, he thought, as he observed a collage of Sehun’s photoshoots and selfies on Mark’s phone.

######

Jungkook used his hands to push his body up, letting his muscles scream due to the effort. Gently pulled his shoes off, as he set carefully on the ledge of the window and then as quietly as possible, he entered the room. He pushed the covers off his bed, that was strategically stuffed with pillows under the blankets, and fished a half eaten cereal bar off the floor, stuffing his mouth with it. He was starving, but he didn’t want to risk being discovered. And he had already spent his allowance on playing video games at the computer centre.

But his monthly allowance wasn’t enough for his expenses, but he didn’t want to ask his parents for more, as they were struggling enough having him living in Seoul. Though he worked part time as well, the money was efficient for his rent only. Jungkook didn’t want to think about the time after school, when he would have to pay for his college fees as well. His grades weren’t even close to gain him a scholarship. Raising them would have solved some of his problems, but Jungkook didn’t have the time to study, the means to pay for a tutor that everyone who wanted to get into a good university had, and the will to do it as well.

“I’m coming in,” the senior who lived to the room opposite to his, called and pushed the door open with his leg, having his arms occupied by a pile of freshly washed clothes. Jungkook was the only minor in the house, as most of them were college students or people who were preparing for their civil test. The couple owning the house were friends with his parents, as they used to live in the same district as his family, and therefore they had agreed to take him in to finish school there. His father thought that graduating a Seoul high school would lead to a high class career and he forced his son to move to the city, which he hated. A country bumpkin like him was bullied relentlessly from the city boys, until he taught one of the bullies a lesson using his feasts. That impressed one of his classmates, Taeyong, who took him under his wing and helped him adjust to his new environment. Of course, his new friend’s lifestyle wasn’t something his parents and the house owners approved off.

“You have been out all night, haven’t you,” the boy said, leaving the clothes on the desk. Jungkook eyed him. His name was Seokjin and he was studying for his master’s degree in agriculture, while taking the role of Jungkook’s mom for no reason.

“I was sleeping,” Jungkook lied.

“Liar! I’ve heard you climbing up your window just now!” the other guy, Hoseok, whose room was right next to Jungkook’s, grinned, leaning at the frame of the door.

“Just close the door!” Jungkook said, jumping on his bed.

Seokjin folded his arms on his chest. “Look at this little guy lying to me with ease.”

“It’s not that hard to lie to you, Seokjin,” Hoseok laughed.

“Yeah? What about you then?”

“Are you guys gonna fight? Cause I’m having a headache,” Jungkook complained.

“Serves you well,” Seokjin pointed out. “You should be sleeping at night, you know.”

“School starts next week!” Jungkook cried.

“Let the boy be!” Hoseok replied, taking a seat next to Jungkook.

“Great! Now you’re taking his side.”

“Seokjin, please,” Jungkook murmured. “I’ll stay in when school starts.”

“You bet you will,” Seokjin said and threw a convenient store kimbap that he took out of the pile of clothes, over to him. “Go and wash up before coming down,” he said as he walked out of the room. “You look terrible.”

“Thank you!” Jungkook called after him.

“Are you going to start studying properly this year?” Hoseok asked. He was studying to pass his civil test to become a teacher, but he was a fun guy and a loyal friend.

“I’ll try,” Jungkook dismissed him. He didn’t need to hear “the speech” from him.

“You know, you can find a tutor, or I can help you out with some of the stuff.”

“Hoseok, you are studying for elementary school teacher!”

“I didn’t say I will help you with everything,” Hoseok said, making a face.

“Thank you. But, even so, I can’t afford a tutor.”

“How about finding a classmate? They won’t take as much as a tutor.”

“What? Those freaks will never agree to it.”

“Okay, as you wish,” Hoseok said and got up. “Oh, are you coming to the event tonight? Yoongi will be there. And I can find tickets for your friends as well,” he said, pausing at the door.

“Me and Taeyong will be there, but I don’t know about the others.”

“Okay, let me know if they contact you.”

Jungkook fell flat on the bed, staring at the dirty ceiling. He wanted to do well in school and be the son his father wanted him to be. But that son wasn’t the man Jungkook wanted to become.

######

“If you put that one over there, then someone might knock it off,” Luhan pointed out. The photoshoot hadn’t started yet, but he felt tired already. Sure enough, the stuff had no respect for the material or the importance of the artifacts Luhan had brought, but at least the photographer was more sensitive when it came to it and he agreed with every precaution Luhan suggested.

“Ten minutes people!” a woman from the stuff called out and the models started appearing from the fitting room, all dressed up.

“Don’t worry, mister Lu. We will be extra careful,” the photographer tried to assure him, as Luhan felt the blood leaving his face.

“I’m sorry for being so strict about this, but that vase costs thousands of dollars.”

“I’m aware of it and I’ll do everything in my power to keep it in one piece,” the man said and left to direct the models.

“I’m guessing you didn’t work overtime to buy that phone after all,” someone said. Luhan turned confused only to find the guy from the hospital standing next to him. He almost didn’t recognize him will all the makeup and the perfectly groomed hair. 

“What…?”

“I mean, if you can afford a vase like that, then you probably can buy hundreds cell phones0.”

“I was just trying to make a point. I never said that it was a true story,” Luhan cleared his throat and focused on the photoshoot that was taking place in front of him.

“Big words from a guy who doesn’t even want to pay for a cake he destroyed.”

“I didn’t destroy it! It was perfectly fine!”

“How do you know? You don’t know how it was in the first place.”

“You…” Luhan was about to say, when the guy turned over to talk to another guy that came out of the fitting room.

“Sehun, get ready. You have another photoshoot in noon,” the guy said. He was clearly not a model, as he wasn’t over dressed and he had no make up on.

“Do you two know each other?” the guy asked both of them, as he approached.

“No,” Luhan snapped. That guy made him look seriously unprofessional. “We only had a small cake…”

“We met once a long time ago,” the guy, Sehun, interrupted.

“What? We met just…” Luhan tried to say, but Sehun gave him a dirty look and turned to the other man.

“Namjoon, can you bring me a bottle of water?”

“Um, sure,” Namjoon said, glaring both of them. He didn’t believe them, but he still couldn’t say anything. But Luhan could.

“What was that?”

“Look, I will make you a deal. Actually, that’s why I came to talk to you and heard all that thousand dollars vase stuff.”

“I don’t want to make any deal with you.”

“Listen to me! That guy that talked to you is my manager and he is kind of seriously strict when it comes to dieting.”

“So?” Luhan asked, trying to sound indifferent, but he actually was starting to enjoy this. He had found something that could use to get back to this arrogant boy.

“I will not mention the pay back thing again, or approach you for that matter, if you keep your mouth shut about seeing me eating that cake.”

“And why will I want to do that?”

“Like I said, I will stop messing with you if you do as I say.”

“What makes you think that we will ever meet again?”

“I’m guessing you will be visiting that hospital again a couple of times more. My friend is there as well, and I visit him often. I imagine that we may meet again in the hallway outside that chairman’s room maybe. Or not. That’s up to you,” Sehun said and left to join the other models. Luhan was furious. That guy was clearly threatening him.

Luhan was so irritated that he couldn’t focus on monitoring the artifacts. Rather, he kept shooting killing looks at Sehun. If looks could murder, Sehun would have been dead already. However, it was the only thing Luhan could do. He didn’t want to admit it, but that guy had gotten the best of him. And that annoyed him even more.

Finally, the photoshoot was over and Luhan gathered some of the stuff and started packing everything up.

“Let the vase to me,” Luhan ordered, wearing his cotton gloves. He carefully placed the wooden box next to it and transferred the vase into it.

“Where’s the stuffing for the vase?” Luhan asked, looking all around him in frustration.

“I don’t think there is any here,” one of the stuff members said. “Maybe there is one in the storage.”

“Okay then someone…” Luhan tried to say, but everyone had left, carrying the boxes back to the track waiting outside. As a matter of fact, even the light people were gone. Luhan could hear people eating in the fitting rooms and cursed his luck for having to go there by himself to get it.

Luhan was so angry that he feared that his hands will trample and he would let the vase fall on the ground and smash into a million pieces. Maybe he should call the driver and have him carry the box for him. And where was that stuffing? Luhan run the small store twice, looking through light bolts, old cameras and many boxes with wires, till he finally spotted the bag with the stuffing, stuck between some chairs. Luhan managed to pull it out after a lot of effort, having himself covered with dust. Coughing, he got out, kicking a bucket and having it fly into the boxes with the wires.

Luhan glanced over the fitting room, where everyone was seated on the floor, sucking noodles and drinking beer. How unprofessional, Luhan thought and dragged the bag with the stuffing with him towards the vase and then he stopped. He felt the air leaving his lungs and his legs numbed, as he stared at the vase, now broken in half, lying on the floor. The vase that costs thousands of dollars; the vase that his father had entrusted him with.

“Um, look here. I know this looks bad,” Sehun said to him, standing up over the broken artifact.

“Bad? Bad?! Are you kidding me?” Luhan started yelling. “That vase was a hundred years old and now is destroyed forever! And you are saying that it just looks bad!”

“I can pay for it,” Sehun offered and Luhan wanted to kill him.

“That’s right. You are going to pay for it. I’ll make sure of it,” Luhan replied.

“Okay, just name the price.”

“Thirty thousand dollars. And I want them in cash.”

“You just made up a big number to scare me off. Now, stop playing around and name the price.”

“I told you the price. If you don’t believe me, check the insurance papers.”

“So, it has is covered? That good,” Sehun said.

“The insurance covers only fifty percent of the damage, if it was an accident, which, clearly, was.”

“What? That ugly thing cost sixty thousand?”

“That ugly thing was a genuine, one of a kind, masterpiece. And you broke it. So, I need your information, so I can fill a contract and have it ready when you come and pay.”

“What? Look, um…I don’t have so much money. So, I guess, you’ll have to wait.”

“I can give you a week to gather the money,” Luhan replied, already playing in his head the dialogue between his father and him when he would have to inform him about the situation. He would be furious and for a good reason. Luhan had left the vase unattended and a moron had broken it. A moron who didn’t even realize the importance of the vase nor he appreciated its beauty and uniqueness.

“It will take more than that,” Sehun tried to say.

“I will get your information from the agency and contact you with my address and bank account. If you try to get away and not pay your dept, I will have to call the police and contact your family, who will be abide to pay me back themselves,” Luhan said and turned his back at the vase and Sehun, trying hard not to let him know that he was shaking. He hated the guy, hated his attitude and his careless manners, the way he could make him so angry and frustrated. But one thing was for sure; he was going to make sure that Sehun was going to pay him back.

######

Jaehyun straighten his tie and glanced over his watch for the hundredth time. Where the hell was Mark? It was their first day to school and Jaehyun still felt awkward being the new kid and all.

They had talked over the phone last night and they had agreed to meet in front of the school. Jaehyun had even made sure that Junmyeon hadn’t stayed to wait with him. He still avoided introducing those two to each other. Though, he and Mark had been for a small tour of Seoul’s key touristic attractions. They had done a throughout investigation on the city when they were preparing to move there so they won’t be all out of depth with everyone and at least don’t get bullied about being clueless.

“Look at that moron,” a group of kids with skateboards passed him, laughing at him. Jaehyun glared at them, but didn’t say anything. Every school had idiots like them and Jaehyun didn’t want to create problems his first day at school. So, he only looked at them, as they passed by and entered the large yard, following them till they climbed the stairs, when one of them turned and looked back, locking eyes with Jaehyun. Jaehyun was socked, but he didn’t alter his gaze, as panic rose inside him. The boy held him imprisoned with his dark, deep eyes that seemed to radiate fire.

“I am seriously sorry,” Mark said, appearing next to him. Jaehyun quickly turned his back on the guy and faced his friend. The boy smiled. “The busses were not as easy as I expected.”

“Its fine,” Jaehyun lied. He still felt confused by what had happened. But he soon forgot it as they walked in the big building that hosted their high school. They headed straight to the teachers’ office, where they had to be introduced to their class room teacher.

“Let me see,” the teacher said, after the proper introductions. “You will be in the same class, number B6. It’s on the other side of the building. And this is your schedule.” She handed them two folders with papers in them. “How do you find life in Korea so far?” she asked them, as they walked to the classroom together.

“It’s weird. Everything seems familiar and not. Its…its weird,” Mark took the initiative to answer. Better. Jaehyun let him do all the talking and focused on taking in the new environment. It didn’t look hostile, but then again it wasn’t the place that could make your life miserable, but the students.

“Here we are,” the teacher said and entered the room. Noises of chairs moving and people gathering could be heard from the door, where Jaehyun and Mark stood. Jaehyun felt dizzy all of a sudden. This was the second time changing schools and, if he remembered one thing from the first time, it wouldn’t be that pleasant. However, Mark seemed overjoyed. Like he was going to attend school with that Sehun guy.

“Students, we have two new students this year, moving from the States to attend our school. Please treat them well.”

That was their cue. Both of them entered the room and Jaehyun felt his uneasiness increasing, as he felt all the eyes burning on him. But he forced himself to look up and face the class. He shouldn’t appear weak in front of his new classmates.

“Hello, I’m Jaehyun,” he heard himself muttered.

“Right, please take a seat,” the teacher urged them and Jaehyun moved through the desks, realizing that he would have to seat at the back row, as every other desk was taken.  As Jaehyun put his bag on the desk, he could hear some mutter and laugher from the kids around him. He tried to convince himself to ignore them. Maybe they weren’t even looking at him.

He set down quickly and took out his books. It was so weird that all his textbooks were in Korean. It felt like déjà vu; like a forgotten dream finally coming back to him. Even the lecture was odd to concentrate on. Jaehyun tried his best to focus, but his mind kept trailing on. He looked over to Mark, who to take down everything the teacher said. The boy looked like he was in his element, unlike Jaehyun. He studied his other classmates. The president of the class was sitting at the first row. A group of girls were all gathered at the right wing, probably the cool girls. And then there was the guy sitting next to him. He looked like he was reading of the book their teacher was narrating of, but in closer look, he was daydreaming, as he was at the wrong page. Jaehyun tried not to laugh at the observation, when the guy turned and looked at him looking at him. Jaehyun’s jaw dropped. It was the guy from the yard!

######

Jungkook didn’t know why he thought this first would have been different. At least he was in the same classroom as Taeyong, though the teacher made him seat at the front row. Jungkook seriously didn’t want to be with the geeks. They were the ones giving him a hard time at school and they surely weren’t happy that he took someone else’s place at the front. They kept giving him the dirty looks and laughing behind his back. Jungkook pretended not to notice, playing with his pen or zoning out.

“Can you stay for a minute?” the teacher asked him, as he was about to go out during break. Jungkook felt the stare of his classmates as he approached the teacher.

“I’ve seen your past grades and they were quite good. But last years, they have decreased.”

“Is this about my parents?” Jungkook asked. He had been listening to that preach for a year now. He glanced over the door, where his friends were waiting for him.

“They are concerned over you,” the teacher continued. “In my opinion, with a little hard work, you can increase them again.”

“I’ll do my best,” Jungkook answered and thanked the teacher, leaving.

“What was all that about?” one of his friends asked.

“You know. The same,” Jungkook dismissed any other comment. He didn’t want his friends to know that he was worrying about his grades. Though, by the way Taeyong was looking at him, he had the feeling that the older boy knew all about it. Taeyong was something like an idol for Jungkook. He had been struggling to finish school, repeating the same class for two years, as he was working more than three jobs to support his family, after his father had left him and his sister. Of course, Taeyong didn’t want anyone to know about it. He said that they tended to treat him with pity, and he didn’t want any of it. Truthfully, Jungkook had found out by mistake when he was going to his part time job one day.

So, because they shared that secret, Jungkook felt that there was a connection between them, though, sometimes, he wasn’t that sure if Taeyong felt the same.

“Just ignore her. Let’s go,” one of the boys said and Jungkook followed them at the back of the school yard.

Jungkook still felt awkward, as they returned to their classroom. Taeyong didn’t say anything, just put a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder, as the boy sat down.

“Excuse me.” Jungkook looked up to find the class’s president, Taehyung, standing in front of him.

“What?” Jungkook snapped. Was he here to lecture him too? Who did he think he was, the teacher’s pet, to look down on him? Or, was he here to tell him to know his place and move back at the last row?

“As the class’s president I’m obligated to know about my classmates’ status…”

“Look, I didn’t want to seat here neither. Take your complains to the teacher.”

“It’s not that. I wanted to inform you that we have a club that helps students study. We stay after school and…”

“Do I seem like I care?”

“In any case, if you want, we gather every afternoon at the music class,” Taehyung said, ignoring Jungkook’s sharp comments.

“The music class?” Jungkook raised an eyebrow.

“It was the only classroom available,” Taehyung answered, a little apologetic. Jungkook felt bad for the kid. He was actually feeling happy and proud about that lame club.

“I’ll pass,” Jungkook said.

“Okay then,” Taehyung retreated. Jungkook just hoped that that was the end and he won’t bother him again.

######

“Call him again,” Luhan ordered impatiently. His secretary dialed the number again.

“Sir, he’s not picking up,” the girl said.

“Change your phone then,” Luhan snapped. He had been calling Sehun since yesterday. At first, he picked it up and made excuses that he couldn’t hear him properly. And then, he stopped picking the phone calls. Luhan had tried changing phones and made his secretary keep calling him since morning, but he managed to ignore every one of them. Which made Luhan furious.

“That’s not good. I’m going to find him,” Luhan decided, picking up his jacket and car keys. “Call his manager and check on his schedule.”

“Yes sir,” the girl replied.

Luhan rode the lift to the basement parking lot of the offices that he was renting, where he had parked his car. His secretary called just in time.

“Sir, his agency informed me that he is at the shooting of a music video. I’ll email you the address and his schedule.”

“Thank you. I’ll visit the CEO again today, so I won’t need you for something else. You can take the day off when you finish with the insurance papers.”

“Thank you sir,” the girl thanked Luhan and hang up. She has been with Luhan for three years now and she was very dependable, as she was quick and helpful. She worked from the office or accompanied Luhan in the company meetings, but mostly she let him organize his schedule and didn’t bothered him when he was antique hunting. But today, he wished that he could send her instead of going himself to get Sehun. However, he knew that the girl wouldn’t be very intimidating and he needed to make sure that the idiot knew the weight of his foolish mistake.

Luhan had learned the streets of Seoul like the back of his hand by now and he arrived at the shooting sight pretty quickly. Which was for the best, as he could see the stuff packing up as he pulled in. He headed straight for the models’ dressing rooms, which was actually a truck, as he knew that the lazy guy would have surely headed straight there as soon as the filming was over.

Or maybe he wanted to take pictures with the celebrities and post them online to boast to his fans about his interesting connections. Luhan had made a small research about him and had found out, to his annoyance, that Sehun was in fact kind of famous and popular model and many Korean designers were battling to have on their runaways. He was scouted when he was in college, studying economics, by an agency and he was offered a contract. Apparently, Sehun was dealing with a really bad personal crisis back then and the change of career course was like a gift from the heavens.

So, he left college and pursued a career as a model. He started with some commercials and catalogues, but quickly he became popular via his social media accounts and he got more photoshoots and magazine covers. He also got some roles in dramas and films, before buying shares at his friend’s company and now balancing a career of a celebrity and a business man at the same time. Luhan wasn’t that impressed, however. It wasn’t that he was jealous or mad. He himself didn’t really build his fortune with his own hands, but was readily delivered to him. However, he didn’t like the fact that Sehun was so arrogant and full of himself when all he did was get lucky and pose for some magazines.

Luhan spotted Namjoon at the entrance of the truck and quicken his pace. He needed to get Sehun before he could make some excuses again and disappear.

“Mister Kim, I’m here to see Sehun about a financial situation, which I hope you are also aware of,” Luhan said, taking on his all business face.

“Sehun is resting,” the man replied, looking a little worried. So, he knew about the dept and Sehun’s cowardly attitude towards it.

“I’m sure that he needs it. However, I have been trying to get in touch with him and he seems like he is ignoring my calls. I have to say that that makes me feel like a banker or a loan shark, when, in fact, I just want this to be over. So, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that I’ll have to disturb Sehun’s resting,” Luhan said and made a move to go past Namjoon and over enter the truck, but the man was quick and placed himself in front of the door before Luhan had the chance to reach the door’s handle.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to arrange an appointment first.”

“I would like that as well. You see, I’m a busy man myself. But, like I said, Sehun is avoiding my phone calls.”

“I’ll have Sehun call you soon and schedule a meeting,” Namjoon insisted.

“I’m not sure you are aware of the situation, mister Kim. This is not a matter to play with. Don’t make me result to legal action, please.”

“I will make sure that Sehun knows that.” This guy started to piss Luhan off. He seriously wouldn’t move away from the door and Luhan couldn’t do much about it, as people started to stare. Sehun was famous, so he probably appeared like the bad wolf who was harassing their darling. Plus, Luhan did start to feel like a loan shark.

“I’ll give you two hours,” Luhan said and walked away, knowing well enough that he wouldn’t hear from Sehun soon.

######

“How was your first day?” Junmyeon asked over dinner. Jaehyun’s cousin was seriously bad at cooking, but he knew all the places that had the best kitchen. Plus, his place was filled with take away brochures. Clearly, his mother didn’t know that when she agreed to let him go and live with Junmyeon.

“It was okay,” Jaehyun replied, stuffing his mouth with rice. From his experience, it was better to forget about these first few days and just survive them.

Truthfully, he expected them worse. After class, Mark stuck with him through all the breaks, though many students gathered around, curious to know more about the Americans. It was odd to be referred as the USA boys, when in America were always the Koreans. Jaehyun felt that he would always be the kid from somewhere else wherever he went.

But that wasn’t his bigger problem. He felt his heart ready to burst when they asked why they moved to Seoul. He gave a long side look to Mark, hoping that the boy won’t reveal the real reason why they transferred schools. Fortunately, his friend was true to his promise and didn’t start his long speech about how awesome Sehun was.

Other than that, the day was quiet enough, with the students sticking to their own groups and leaving them mostly alone. Plus, the bullies of the class left the classroom as soon as the bell rang, not even noticing them. Jaehyun felt uneasy throughout the duration of the class, fearing that he had gotten the attention of the black haired bad boy seating next to him. But he was mostly interested into one of the boys at the front row.

“If someone gives you a hard time, you must tell me immediately. You know, I was the class president,” Junmyeon advised him.

“Leave the boy alone,” someone called, as the door biped, announcing the entrance of someone. Sehun walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the food, like it was dinner time with his family. He looked so at ease and familiar with the situation that Jaehyun was confused whether he should introduce himself properly.

“Sehun, this is my cousin Jaehyun,” Junmyeon said before Jaehyun made up his mind to speak up.

“I know. You have been talking about him for months now,” Sehun said, taking a seat next to Jaehyun.

“It’s nice to meet you face to face,” Jaehyun added nevertheless.

“Welcome,” Sehun answered. “Have Junmyeon informed you about the rules of the house?”

“No,” Jaehyun replied confused. Junmyeon had only shown him around the house, pointing out whose room was each one.

“Junmyeon!”

“What rules?” Jaehyun’s cousin feigned ignorance.

“Look kid, there are only three rules. Keep the rooms that all of us use clean, don’t go into Kyungsoo’s room, especially if his here and if you need something or have a problem, you come to me first and not this silly rabbit.”

“Silly rabbit?!” Junmyeon cried.

“You look like it,” Sehun teased and laughed.

“What…?”

“Um, excuse me, but who’s Kyungsoo?” Jaehyun interrupted.

“Oh, he’s our friend who leaves here now and then,” Junmyeon answered.

“He’s kind of picky and control freak, so don’t mess with his stuff,” Sehun added.

“Okay, then. Does he know that I live here?”

“Um… we haven’t told him yet,” Junmyeon muttered.

“But we are getting to it,” Sehun added. “Plus, this is Junmyeon’s house and he doesn’t need Kyungsoo’s permission to let his cousin stay here.”

“He will get mad though,” Junmyeon said to Sehun.

“Don’t tell him what we just told you,” Sehun ignored Junmyeon and ordered Jaehyun. “And don’t listen to your cousin. Kyungsoo is not that bad. Just gets irritated easily. But, if you keep quiet and stay in your room, there won’t be a problem.”

After that, they didn’t mention Kyungsoo again. Jaehyun had many questions to ask, like what he looked like or why was he living here from time to time and not all the time. But he didn’t want to ask pressure on them when they clearly didn’t want to talk about it. Plus, they seemed to stick to their own dynamics, as they sometimes just conversed only with each other, like Jaehyun wasn’t there. Which wasn’t that bad, as he had the time to observe the notorious Sehun and finally maybe understand why Mark thought of him so highly.

Sehun seemed very easy going, making fun of Junmyeon and listing all the activities Jaehyun had to do in Seoul. He offered to take him on a tour to his favorite neighborhood when they both were free and he asked about his school and everything. Then he got a call and his expression suddenly darkened.

“I have to take this,” he said and got up.

“It’s not from the hospital, is it?” Junmyeon called before the boy left the room.

“No, it’s something personal,” Sehun replied before disappearing into the hallway.

Jaehyun studied his cousin. Obviously this wasn’t Sehun’s normal behavior, as Junmyeon’s forehead filled with lines of worry. But Jaehyun didn’t ask what all was about and excused himself. He wished he could tell Mark about spending the evening with his idol and that he actually was more of the guy next door rather than the superhuman perfection Mark portrayed him, but he restrained himself. He had made his decision back then and now it was too late to come clean. Plus, this was for Mark’s benefit.

Jaehyun wore his pajamas and crawled into his bed, replaying the events of the day into his head. And to his surprise, his thoughts kept going into the deep, dark eyes of the boy at the desk next to his.

######

Jungkook threw the small tennis ball to the wall. The yellow sphere bounced on the hard surface and returned back into his hands.

“I am really okay,” he lied, not meeting Taeyong’s eyes. He had called him out of his work, at the back alley, to talk to him. His boss wasn’t that happy about it, giving them warning looks, but Taeyong wore his rebellious look and the guy didn’t dare to complain.

“Ten minutes,” he barked, going behind the counter to take Jungkook’s place. Jungkook had to put up with that pig every day, but the money was good enough for a part timer and his boss didn’t ask for his parents’ permission to hire him, even though he was underage. Jungkook didn’t want his parents finding out that he was working to support himself and neglecting studying.

“You didn’t seem so this morning,” the boy insisted. What had gotten into him? Why was he acting like that?

“The teacher and her pet are just pestering me,” Jungkook replied.

“Look, I don’t care about school and neither do the boys, but that doesn’t mean you have to be the same. If you want to study, you can…”

“I don’t want to study!” Jungkook snapped. He knew what that meant. They would say they were fine with it in the beginning, but eventually they would stop hanging out with him, or inviting him to parties and he would be left out again. No, he would never commit that social suicide.

“I never said you did. But if you want to raise your score…”

“I thought you said that that system is drifting classmates apart, creating racism for those who are not classified as smart.”

“That’s true. But you aren’t going to score marks high enough to get you at the first places of the classes score table. However, you can get high enough grades to get into college or something.”

“That can never happen. I have to pay a tutor, and I am hardly getting by as it is,” Jungkook murmured.

“You can go to that studying group that book freak suggested,” Taeyong said, kicking one of the trash cans.

Jungkook let the tennis ball fall on the dirty floor of the alley. “You heard?”

“It was quite obvious.”

“I will rather…”

“It’s a good opportunity.”

“They will bully me for being stupid.”

“Don’t let them bully you then,” Taeyong replied sharply, his voice indicating that it was more of a command rather than a clever reply. Seokjin liked to call Taeyong the leader of a gang pack of puppies. Jungkook could not argue with him at times like these.

“I don’t have the time,” the boy stated.

“You have the time to make petty excuses though,” Taeyong snapped.

“Why are you insisting on this? If you want to isolate me gradually, you can say so. No need to use sneaky ways to make me leave the group!” Jungkook yelled angrily at him.

“I am not doing anything like that! I just want what’s best for you,” Taeyong said calmly, like he was retreating.

“I’m not your little brother to pet around!” Jungkook heard himself say. He knew that that would hurt Taeyong, aiming straight at the most sensitive spot of the boy, his family. But he was angry and couldn’t control himself.

“But I’m your friend,” Taeyong said, the hurt visible in his voice. Then he cleared his throat. “If you don’t want to, forget it. If you feel good giving up that easily, than I don’t mind either,” he added and left.

Jungkook felt the back of his throat sour, as he fought the tears forming in his eyes from bursting out, walking into the store again.

######

Luhan didn’t hear from Sehun, of course. And he was too proud to call him again. So he left him alone for two days, managing some affairs here and there. Plus, he had an exhibition to organize at Seoul’s museum of ceramic art. He had taken upon designing and creating the whole exhibition all by himself, as he trusted no one to give the high results only he could provide.

 He knew of course all the gossip that the curators of the museum whispered behind his back. For them he was the cold perfectionist, the monstrous egoist, the arrogant know it all. At least, those were the nice ones. Of course, all of them smiled politely when he was present, always complementing his skills and dedication. But Luhan could read behind their fake admiration; he wasn’t an ignorant fool. But he didn’t care for it either. He knew all too well that when he finished, everyone would have their jaws dropped to the floor, making a fool of themselves. He would cherish those moments afterwards, as a reward for his resistance to their sneer attitude, a sweet revenge that never failed to reward him.

But this time, he had another matter to take care of. As he worked, he had Sehun at the back of his mind, never letting him fully focus at what he was doing. He was irritated by the way he managed to make a fool of him, the way he was affecting him. Luhan had visited all of the accounts dedicated to Sehun, stalking hid every move, trying to figure out where he would be next, so he could sneak on him. That cat mouse game had to stop and put the matter behind him.

His obsession with Sehun was fueled by the anger of his dad. His father was calling him constantly, demanding Luhan to settle things and have Sehun pay his debt. And Luhan couldn’t avoid him so meticulously as Sehun did with him. So, he had to listen to the lecture of him being an incapable weak pushover who wasn’t even able to handle as simple situation like that.

Luhan started even dreaming of encountering Sehun and ridiculing him in front of everyone, especially his idiotic fans. That calmed him a little, but he soon would get frustrated of the wall Sehun had managed to build between them. Things had to change.

Luhan drove to the hospital, where the CEO was pretending to get treatment; another matter that stressed Luhan. But he wasn’t there to meet that old man. He had a plan. He had decided on it last night, which resulted on not managing to sleep all night, being too excited to calm down.

His heart was beating faster and faster, as he rode the elevator to the third floor. He had made the calculations last night and he figured that the floor that he was looking for was probably the third or the fourth. The VIP ward, along with the surgery rooms were on the fifth floor, so he couldn’t have possibly climbed down all the floors down to the first. So, if he was right, and Sehun’s schedule was the one his assistance swore that it was, then he would run into him while he was visiting his friend.

Luhan walked down the aisle, looking into the rooms of the patients, getting some angry stare backs from nurses and family members.  But it didn’t matter. He had to find Sehun and he was going to. However, his determination started to lessen, as he started reaching the mental health department. Maybe he should try the fourth floor.

He pressed the button for the elevator, while telling himself that he had yet another floor to search, so he shouldn’t get discourage just yet. Also, in worst case scenario, he could wait at the entrance of the hospital for him. Some people started gathering, as the elevator finally arrived, and Luhan got annoyed as that meant that he would have to push his way in, even though he was the first to arrive. Should he have gotten the stairs instead of having to get pressed at the back of a combined square space?

Luhan was pressed between a huge guy, probably a basketball player, and a lady carrying too many bags, when he spotted a pink box. His mind started working in light speed, like when it happens in movies. He had seen that box before! The question was, where? Could it be..?

“Wait!” Luhan screamed and pushed his way out of the elevator, tripling at the front of the door and getting all kinds of not that well wished comments. Luhan let them pass. He had more important things to deal with anyway. Because that pink box was the same box that Sehun had next to him, when he was eating that cake.

Luhan approached the box. It was laying on the floor, next to a seat that was occupied by a bomber jacket and a backpack that way-too-familiar. Luhan looked around for the model. Could he be in the mental health ward?

Luhan walked carefully into the ward, being aware that if caught, he would be in trouble if he couldn’t explain why he was there, if he didn’t have someone to visit. He finally saw Sehun’s back, after looking into many rooms. He was walking up and down the small room, where a small guy was seated on an armchair, staring straight at Luhan. Luhan panicked. The guy had an intense stair and the area around his eyes was filled with small, white scars that were visible in the pure light that was hitting him getting in from the window behind him. He didn’t expect having to encounter Sehun’s friend as well. What was he going to say to him? This was one of those awkward situations, but Luhan had experienced many of those due to his profession. However, this time it felt different, like he was intruding.

But, to Luhan’s shock, the guy didn’t react. He just kept staring at him. Sehun seemed to be talking to him, but Luhan couldn’t make out what he was saying to him. Should he knock and introduce himself? Suddenly, the guy on the armchair started talking. Luhan froze. Was he talking about him?

Luhan had to minimize the damage and pull himself together. He was a professional and he shouldn’t be the one hiding here. Luhan gathered his courage and knocked at the door. Immediately, Sehun turned and the look on his face gave away that the boy on the armchair hadn’t talked about him yet.

Luhan didn’t enter the room. Rather, he took a step back and waited in the hallway for Sehun. The boy couldn’t avoid him now; he had to come out and face him. Luhan counted the minutes, getting more and more nervous as the time passed. Was it possible for Sehun to attempt to escape from the window of the third floor?

Finally, the door opened and Sehun stepped out. He looked tired, like his shoulders were weighted down.

“What are you doing here?” Sehun asked, his voice low.

“I was visiting my CEO friend and thought that I should pay you a visit,” Luhan lied. He started feeling bad about sneaking at Sehun like that.

“I’m busy,” Sehun stated.

“It seems like it,” Luhan replied, but, to his surprise, Sehun didn’t come back with a smart reply, as usual. That confused Luhan. He was dreaming of this moment for a week now, the time when he was going to face Sehun and finally get back on him. But now that long awaited momentum wasn’t that sweet. “Are you okay?” Luhan found himself saying.

“I’m… It’s complicated,” Sehun admitted. He looked defeated.

“You want to talk about it?” Luhan asked. “I’ve…I’ve got time.”

“I don’t know.”

“It might make you feel better. Besides, it’s obvious that you are not going to pay me back any time soon. But, an outsider might have a fresh view on the matter. Plus, it’s sometimes better to talk to some stranger that doesn’t have any connection with you rather than to a friend that already knows the situation.”

Sehun finally agreed and the two of them were seated at the hospital’s cafeteria a few moments later.

“Well, is something wrong with your friend?” Luhan asked, as Sehun seemed hesitated to talk.

“Obviously.”

“Why is he here?”

“He…um…he was attacked a few years ago.”

“Was he robbed?”

“No, he’s boyfriend or friend anyway, was abducted and the criminal attacked Kyungsoo. She threw oxide on his face and… he was left blind.”

“I’m sorry. I see why he needs help to recover. Was the abductor found or his friend?”

“No. She escaped and the police haven’t found him yet. We heard that she has taken three more men a year ago, but only the two of them escaped, as the basement where they were kept was set on fire. We thought that they died, but a month ago the police said that she might have strike again. We tried to keep it a secret from Kyungsoo, but he found out and he had a panic attack. We are trying to get him to come live with us for a few days, to get him to stop obsessing over it and move on, but he doesn’t want to even leave the hospital.”

Luhan listened to him in silence, shocked by what he was saying. He never thought that all those dramatic situations that he watched in movies could ever happen in real life. But they did and that man on the armchair was a victim of it.

“I wish that at least she was caught and Kyungsoo finally got some closure. But she manages to escape each time.”

“Couldn’t the two survivors be of any help?”

“We visited them both, after Kyungsoo insisting on meeting them. The one was there only for a day, as he was taken the very same day and his friend managed to figure out where he was kept. The other is so damaged that it took him some time to be able to be of any use. But he couldn’t help much. He was kept there and tortured for months, but she kept them dragged so they mostly were disoriented and isolated.”

“What about Kyungsoo’s friend?”

“He wasn’t there, at least, the guy haven’t seen him. Obviously, she either kept them separate, or she has killed him already. Either way, he seemed to have moved on, but he was still obsessed with finding the other guy and that they were alive. I thought that he would be of any help, but he even encouraged Kyungsoo to have hope. He told him about some writing on the wall he had found that was almost the same as the ones Jongin used to leave him in books. He got seriously depressed after hearing that.”

“Does he have family?”

“He has his father, but he isn’t in a better condition to support him. Kyungsoo had a tough life but he had never given up till now.”

“What do the doctors say?”

“That he is depressed and he needs to take his meds and attend his sessions. He does all of that, but he still has no improvement.”

“Maybe you can ask the doctor to recommend some short of holidays to him,” Luhan suggested.

“He’s suborn. I don’t think that it’ll work.”

“You can give it a try. I mean, you won’t know if you don’t.”

“I don’t know…”

“What else is there to try? Or, you can try to see things from his prespective. He has been through a life changing experience. His dreams were probably crushed and he lost someone important to him. You can try to understand him and maybe support him. I would have trusted someone who believes in me more than someone who’s against me. Wouldn’t you?”

“I understand that he has been through a lot. He even tried to kill himself once. But I just think that Jongin is gone and he should just accept that.”

“Maybe finding Jongin is the only thing that keeps him alive. And until he finds a new purpose in life, that’s all that he’s got.”

“I guess you’ve got a point,” Sehun admitted.

“Why don’t you go up there and let him talk to you? Hear what he’s got to say.”

“I think that I should give it a shot,” Sehun said and got up. Luhan spotted some girls pointing at Sehun and giggling. Maybe they had recognized him. He was a celebrity after all. Luhan felt bad for Sehun. He couldn’t even have a moment to be vulnerable without being spotted by fans. However, Sehun didn’t seem to notice them. Maybe he was used to it.

“Thank you. I didn’t expect that you be something else other than an uptight snob,” he winked and left. And Luhan found himself smiling, forgetting the reason why he had visited the hospital in the first place.

######

“You can join the basketball team,” Mark said, chewing a chocolate bar. “Or the baseball club, although you are better at basketball.”

They were trying to decide what school club to choose, as the teacher gave them an ultimatum to finally make up their mind. Mark was thinking of joining the music team, as he could play the guitar and he was at their last school’s orchestra, so he had an easy choice. But Jaehyun didn’t play an instrument, neither had he tried to sing or study music, so he couldn’t join him. He was good with sports, of course, but judging from his past experience, it wouldn’t be easy for a new member to join.

“What else is there to join? Literature? Maths? Maybe geography…”

“It’s no use,” Jaehyun admitted. “I’ll have to try the basketball team.”

“You are very talented, so there won’t be any problem, don’t worry. Even the PE teacher recommended you.”

“Then that it. It’s decided,” Jaehyun said and took the form of Mark, writing his name and the basketball team on the blanks.

“Hmm… the newbies,” a boy said, standing over their table. Jaehyun remembered his face. He was one of the bullies.

The boy grabbed the form off Jaehyun’s hands and read it, as other two guys approached him.

“Hey, give it back!” Jaehyun snapped, trying to get the form back, but the boy turned away, amused by his effort.

“Guys, look at this. The softie is joining the basketball team!” the boy called, and the others immediately laughed, doubling in number.

“Guys, come on. It’s not funny,” Mark demanded.

“Says who?” one of the students asked sarcastically.

“Just give it back. We don’t want to cause any trouble,” Jaehyun tried to reason with them.

“Too late. You’re already in trouble,” one boy with bleached blond hair said and shoved Jaehyun hard enough to make him loose his balance and fell on the table and down on the floor, hitting his back at the corner of the chair. The students at the tables around them turned and looked at them, while the group of bullies laughed. Jaehyun was angry, but he got up and just set back on the chair, ignoring the pain of back. He wanted to snap back at him and demand an apology, but they were eight and he had only Mark for backup.

“What’s the matter? Are you going to cry? Are you going to call your mom?” the boy asked, putting his face way too close to his face, pocking his cheek with his long finger.

“Can I have the form back, please?” Jaehyun only said, gathering his things in his bag. Mark followed him.

“No, you can’t,” the boy said in a babyish voice.

“Mintae, give him the form and lets go,” someone called and the boys fell silent.

“Taeyong, you missed an epic fail,” one of the guys said, and Jaehyun saw the guy that set next to him in class make way and come in front of the group. He gave a quick look at Jaehyun and Mark and then turned to his friends.

“I’m sure. But you are causing too much noise and the teachers are uneasy. Are those two morons worth another detention?”  Taeyong said to the boy who made Jaehyun fall. The bully didn’t seem to agree, but he didn’t defy Taeyong either. He threw the form on the table and gave a nasty stare at Jaehyun, before he retreated with his group.

“That was close,” Mark said, getting his bag ready.

“Yes,” Jaehyun agreed, looking over to the boys leaving the cafeteria. That wasn’t a good start. These boys could be real trouble for them. Especially their leader, Taeyong.

######

“He has homework to do!” Seokjin complained.

“He can finish that off first, and then come,” Hoseok replied, and Jungkook let his jacket fell on the floor. He knew that Seokjin was going to guard the door until he finished his school work. And even though it was Friday night, he wasn’t going to let him go that easily.

“He needs to start studying!”

“And you need to back off!” Jungkook complained.

“You better stop talking back and concentrate at school rather than those thug nights,” Seokjin said, pushing Hoseok out of the room and closing the door behind them. “And don’t even think of getting out from the window! If you don’t come and show me that you finished, I’ll nail the window close and you will be trapped outside,” he yelled from outside and Jungkook took his math’s’ textbook and threw it on the wall in despair. There was no getting away with his responsibilities.

Though he knew that he had at least to make an effort on his own, it was a one in a lifetime chance to see Yoongi, his favorite rapper, live. Ever since he got spotted by an entertainment company, Yoongi focused on writing songs and giving VIP concerts where the tickets were hard to find and immediately sold out. However, Hoseok was best friends with him and he convinced him to join a small gathering. Of course the event was a secret and only few knew that Yoongi would join, but Jungkook had the inside information he needed.

Jungkook found it hard to concentrate, even though he planned to finish everything off by eleven, so he could rush to the club and be there by midnight. However, the homework took longer than he expected. Finally, and after convincing Seokjin, he made it to the underground club at twenty past one.

The room was severally hot, even though the streets were almost wintery. Jungkook made his way down the iron chairs and sneak between the bodies of fans towards the center of the club. The rap battle had already begun, as he could hear clearly even from outside the building. He couldn’t possibly spot Hoseok, with all this crowd and him being late. Jungkook wanted to invite Taeyong and the guys, but he was still in an awkward position with Taeyong and he knew that the rest of his friends wouldn’t really appreciate the event, nor would they keep their mouths shut about Yoongi being there. So, he was alone there, which it wasn’t that big of a deal, as he got into the mood, being utterly hooked by the rhythm and the atmosphere. He found himself moving to the rhythm that the DJ and the rappers detected. The ones around him danced as well.

And then, finally, a guy dressed in full black and a beanie stepped in the middle of the made up arena. The crowd applauded in rhythm, welcoming the newcomer and Jungkook grinned.

“Who is the new guy? Is it his first time on stage?” a guy standing next to Jungkook leaned closer and asked Jungkook. Jungkook felt exited. Shall he tell him?

“He’s Yoongi,” Jungkook whispered into the guy’s ear.

“What?” the boy asked surprised. And as he turned to face Jungkook, his surprise grew even bigger, just like Jungkook’s. Because the guy standing next to him was the class’s president.

######

Sehun actually answered his phone. He even called back when he missed Luhan’s calls. Of course, Luhan didn’t mention the money or anything. Even though his father was bugging him about it, Luhan still reframe from asking Sehun about settling his dept. Maybe he was afraid of scaring him off. If their long conversations had taught him something, it was that Sehun had a wick spot when it came to money.

 Of course, Luhan didn’t start calling Sehun because he wanted to chit chat with the model. He called him to ask him to set a date to sign the contract referring to repaying the damage Sehun had caused. But when Sehun actually picked up, Luhan found it difficult to mention the money issue. So, he asked about Sehun’s friend and then they started talking about Luhan’s job and other stuff.

“You must not give up. He is warming up towards you, isn’t he?” Luhan said, as he walked down the dusty path leading towards the old farm house. He had spotted the place when he was traveling back from Daegu one day by his car, but he didn’t have time then to visit it. From outside it looked abandoned, with the once white walls, now pilling off and wild plants growling up on every surface; its windows foggy and dusty and the garden growing wild like a zoo. But Luhan did his research as soon as he reached Seoul. Apparently the house used to belong to a rich, agricultural family that later on moved to the capital and used the house as a holiday mansion. Now, the house had come to the granddaughter of the family, who came to live there for a time due to bad health conditions.

“I’m not giving up. I’m actually on my way to visit him right now,” Sehun replied.

“Are you talking to me while driving? That’s dangerous, you know.”

“I know. I’m not that irresponsible. I’m going to buy him a cake first. He loves this certain bakery and he only eats cake bought from that shop.”

“Like the one you were eating on the stairs that day?” Luhan teased him.

“It was a bad day,” Sehun admitted. “And it would have been a shame to throw away a perfectly fresh cake.”

“I see,” Luhan said, as he climbed the wooden stairs of the mansion. They made an annoying song of cracking and squeaking. “Listen, I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you as soon as I reach home.”

“Okay, good luck with your selling.”

“I’m not selling! I’m buying!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, princess,” Sehun laughed and hang off before Luhan could make him regret calling him a princess. Anyway, he had far more important business to take care of.

Luhan knocked the door, as he couldn’t spot any sight of a bell. He cleared his throat and got his serious, business face. He waited a few minutes, before knocking again. He was used to having to knock many times before getting an answer. In his business, patience and insistence was the key to success.

Luhan looked over the porch to the side of the house, where an old style car was parked there. So the owner was still inside. Maybe, she couldn’t hear him. The house was too big anyway.

“Hello!” Luhan called. “Is anyone here? Hello?”

Luhan knocked again and again. But he received no answer. After an hour waiting, Luhan retrieved. There was no point in wasting his time. But, after having a better look at the house, he could tell that it was hiding some very interesting treasures. Unless, the owner had already sold them off. But if she hasn’t, Luhan had to talk to her about making a deal. However, that had to delay. The house owners were hiding for now, but Luhan was determent, and if he was determent about something, it was a done deal.

######

Jaehyun was about to leave for school, when they arrived. Usually it was Junmyeon who returned from his morning run, but this morning he had finished early and he had already taken a shower. Then Sehun opened the door, carrying a suitcase that he unload on the floor next to the door as he entered, without closing the door behind him. Jaehyun stared at the scene confused, when a small built guy followed Sehun.

“Hell, Sehun, help him in!” Junmyeon cried, as he entered the room.

“I don’t need his help!” the guy barked back, using his hands to feel the walls around him. And for the first time Jaehyun realized that the man was blind. In closer look, he had numerous marks all around his big eyes.

“See? He doesn’t need my help, so stop bitching about it,” Sehun said, though he didn’t sound mad at all. Rather, he looked happy.

“Nevertheless,” Junmyeon insisted and took the guy’s hand, leading him towards Jaehyun.

“Kyungsoo, I’m sure Sehun told you about my cousin living with us,” Junmyeon said.

“The school brat you took in? Yeah, he told me,” Kyungsoo replied, and Jaehyun finally understood why Sehun and Junmyeon had warned him about him.

“Hello sir, nice to meet you, I’m Jaehyun,” Jaehyun said, not sure whether to speak formally or not, but feeling that he had to.

“Yes, nice to meet you too. Just stay out of my way and my room, and we’ll be fine. Got it?” Kyungsoo replied and started walking away slowly. Junmyeon gave Jaehyun a look of understanding without saying anything, and he followed Kyungsoo. Sehun took the suitcase off the floor, looking amused.

“Don’t take it personally. He’s just pissed because I made him come here,” Sehun said, when the two boys were out of sight and probably ear shot.

“He’s blind,” Jaehyun said.

“Stating the obvious. I thought you were more clever than that. In any case, don’t you have school to attend to?” Sehun asked and followed the others to Kyungsoo’s room.

Jaehyun felt oddly nervous about his new living conditions. Now he had to tiptoe around the house to avoid making Kyungsoo angry. Jaehyun didn’t know the story, but he was certain somehow that Kyungsoo wasn’t born blind but he was turned into by an unfortunate accident.

Mark never had mention Kyungsoo in his long praising of Sehun, though he did say that the celebrity had faced a tragedy that forced him to leave university and pursue a career as a model. Jaehyun wished he could ask Mark for more details. Maybe the boy knew something, as he was one of Sehun’s biggest fans. But he couldn’t, because that would mean that he had to tell him about him living with Sehun. He couldn’t ask Junmyeon or Sehun either. It felt like a delicate issue that wasn’t easy to ask about for more details.

Jaehyun was thinking about Kyungsoo and his story, when he reached school. It wasn’t early, but he still had a few minutes to manage to get to class in time, though the gate and the school yard were almost empty. Jaehyun rushed to the gate the quietness of the surroundings making him even more nervous, when he spotted two figures by the column of the gate. They seemed to be talking, though the one in a grey suit, whose back was visible from where Jaehyun was standing, was the one doing the talking and the other, whose face wasn’t easy to make out, and who was wearing their school’s uniform, was simply listening to him. Jaehyun knew that he should ran inside and don’t even bother. But he just stared at them, confused. Was this one of those street castings that Mark had talked to him about? Who was the lucky guy being picked to become an idol? Jaehyun wasn’t long at school, but he had met some of Mark’s friends from the music club, and none of them looked like this guy. Plus, most of the members were girls.

 He had joined the basketball team as planned and he had made some friends there, as the guys there were very friendly and were interested in the guy who came from the States to play basketball with them. But he still got picked up by the bullies from time to time. Jaehyun hated them. Hated the way they picked on Mark and almost destroyed his guitar one time. Hated that made him trip and fall face down in the hallway. And most of all, hated the way that guy from the neighboring desk was staring at him during class. Jaehyun didn’t dare to look back at him, but he could feel his dark, piercing eyes on him. The same dark and piercing eyes that met his now, as the man in the grey suit shifted a little to the left and Taeyong appeared behind him.

######

Jungkook kept eying Taehyung at the other end of the room. He didn’t want to. He shouldn’t anyway. But he couldn’t stop. He just kept staring. Fortunately, the other boy was so concentrated on listening to the teacher’s lecture that didn’t notice. Jungkook still had some doubts about seeing him at the underground club that night. Maybe he was mistaken. It was dark and the lights were going crazy and there were too many people there. Plus, the guy next to him was wearing a hoodie. However, somehow, he felt that it was him. Of course the boy didn’t really look like the kind of guy who would be into hip hop and all. He was more like the happy nerd of the class, who thought that math session was as much of a fun as a party.

And yet, there he was that night. Jungkook had retreaded towards the back to get as far away from him as possible. So, he had to climb up on the board of the bar to get a better view of the centre above the heads of the crowd, which resulted into getting scolded by the barman later on and being kicked out of the club before he had a chance to approach Yoongi and ask for an autograph.

So, he was mad at Taehyung for making him miss the chance to meet his idol. He would have to plead to Hoseok now to either ask for an autograph or arrange a “meeting” again. Of course he couldn’t complain about that to Taehyung. He, in fact, didn’t want to talk to him at all. But he still couldn’t wrap it around his mind that the class president had that secret identity. For one thing was sure, though. That Taehyung, even if he had recognized him that, he wouldn’t try to face him about it.

Or, at least that’s what he hoped for. Because during the break, as Jungkook had almost made himself comfortable, laying his head on the physics textbook, he felt someone pocking his shoulder. Jungkook opened one eye lazily and almost sighed loudly when he recognized Taehyung’s posture over him. Fortunately, he quickly pulled himself together and morphed his face into a mask of indifference.

“What do you want?” he snapped, closing his eyes again, pretending to be sleeping, even though his heart was pounding like crazy. Was the boy so stupidly bold to come to him into the busy classroom where easily could someone hear them?

“The home teacher asks for you. She is waiting in the teachers’ office,” Taehyung simply stated and Jungkook could feel him backing away. Jungkook got up and walked out of the classroom slowly. He felt relieved but shamed at the same time for actually being nervous about a silly reason like that one. He shouldn’t be the one acting like this anyway. He wasn’t the one being in a place where he shouldn’t be anyway.

“Your pre exams test’s results are the worst ones of the whole class,” the classroom teacher said. “I know this is too early, but this curriculum is important and fundamental.”

“Teacher, I know the drill. I know what you are going to say to me, but the thing is I also know that I have to start from last year’s book as well,” Jungkook replied.

“There is still time, if you work hard, you’ll learn some of the basics and key points in order to be prepared for the final exams curriculum.”

“I’ll do my best,” Jungkook answered the only phrase he knew that would settle things quickly for him. She was wasting his time anyway, as she would never understand. Teachers always thought that every student was the same; able to afford a good tutor or prep school.

“Jungkook, I wish you would get this seriously.”

“I am, teacher. I do understand what you are saying. Can I go back to class?”

The teacher looked disappointed but sighed in agreement. Jungkook was tired of hearing the same thing from everyone, even from Taeyong, whom hadn’t seen him all morning. It was strange. The boy wasn’t during lunch either. Some of their friends said that he must have decided to sleep in that morning. But Jungkook knew better. Taeyong was not the type of person to just sleep in. If he missed school, then something had happened. Maybe his sister was sick or he had problems at work.

Jungkook was trying to make up his mind on what to do, when he finally decided. He got his bag as soon as the bell rang and ran outside.

“Wait!” he heard Taehyung calling him, but he didn’t stop. “Wait!” he screamed again and ran in front of him, cutting him off and forcing him to stop.

“What is it?”

“Where are you going?” the boy demanded.

“None of your business!” Jungkook snapped and tried to overpass him.

“We still have two hours to go!” Taehyung insisted.

“I know. And I don’t care!” Jungkook said and ran to the bathroom, where he climbed the window out and ran outside at the back of the building. He didn’t have to try hard to convince some of the boys in his group to let him go when they spotted him leaving when they were smoking at the back.

Fortunately, he had to take only one bus to get to Taeyong’s neighborhood. The downside was, though, that he had to climb up the downhill for about twenty minutes. He was out of breath when he finally reached Taeyong’s house. His mother was outside, washing some clothes in a small pot. She smiled at him as soon as she saw him and got up.

“Hello, Miss Lee. Is Taeyong here?” Jungkook asked.

“He’s at school. Isn’t he?” she replied, worry started growing on her face. Jungkook started to worry himself. So, he had left home to go to school. But he never made it. Had something happened to him or had Jungkook made a huge mistake alerting his mother when Taeyong wanted to keep it from her?

“I haven’t been to school today, but I was in the neighborhood and thought that he might have come back early from school,” Jungkook lied. It was a bad lie as well. There was no way for him to have any business in Taeyong’s neighborhood. But he was in panic and he had no time to think of a better excuse.

“Oh, he’s not home yet,” the woman smiled back, being convinced.

“Can you tell him to call me when he’s back?”

“Sure. Is something wrong?”

“No, just some school problems that I have and I need his advice.”

Now the woman smiled more brightly and nodded. Jungkook tried to smile back at her, but he was so worried that he found it difficult to do so. He paid Taeyong’s mother goodbye and strode downwards, calling Taeyong for the fifth time only to discover once again that the boy had his phone turned off.

######

…We heard him call out for her. It was the first time that one of her visitors made himself known so loudly. And it was the first time that she didn’t let him inside or shushed him off. She probably didn’t expect anyone to come, as she had me and Taeil in the small tea room at the second floor. I loved and hated that room at the same time. On the one hand, there was a huge window on the ceiling and one of the walls was made of glass, looking into an interior garden. This house must have been western style, the kind that only aristocrats could afford back in the day. Those two only made it look dreamy, as sun came in and we finally could feel its warmth.

On the other hand, however, the beheaded stuffed animals and the cracked porcelain dolls scattered all around the place, as well as the splashed blood all over the walls and floor made the dream die a slow death, just like us. She liked to take us there as a treat, for being very obedient. Lately, she took me there very often. She also let me stay near the kitchen or allowed me into the big living room. And a few days ago, she moved me to an actual bedroom with a bed and a window. Of course the door stayed locked and the window had bars, but it was a luxury compared to the filthy dark room with the thin blankets and the mattress on the floor that kept us for all these years. The others were still there. Even though Jongin was always docile and agreeable, he was depressed and had left the will to live long ago. She knew it and so she was bored of him. She liked her toys to have more life in them. She, of course, tried to spark some energy in him. I spent nights listening to his cries of pain, as she played with him in the torture rooms. She laughed hysterically at first, but then her laugher became fewer and fewer till finally she stopped taking him in the rooms. After that, she treated him more like a grandpa, moving him from room to room, not really caring to feed him some days, or taking him out of his room.

With Taeil it was deferent of course. He was new and he was scared and he still hoped. He actually snapped up when he heard the man calling from downstairs. His hectic movements almost threw the cups down. I drew a deep breath. I knew that she didn’t love having someone interrupting her tea parties. But she especially hated having her porcelain being damaged.

“Taeil, sit down,” I whispered to the boy. He didn’t listen. But she did. She shifted her eyes from Taeil to me, a small smile growing on her ugly face. Because she knew now that I have become a part of her family; that I was now her ally. And I knew as well that my plan was working.

######

“He doesn’t seem happy though,” Sehun complained and rested his head on one of his hands.

“Give him some time,” Luhan tried to consult him. Sehun was very disappointed with the outcome of his cohabitation with his friend from the hospital. Their relationship had gotten better, however his friend was still depressed and Sehun clearly hoped that the situation would have miraculously changed.

“It’s no use. He has clearly given up!”

“If I was in his place, I would have never recovered from it. So, just be there for him and time will heal him gradually.”

“So, you have never been heartbroken before?” Sehun suddenly asked.

“What?” Luhan was taken by surprise. “What does that has to do with anything?”

“You said that you would have never been healed if something like that had happened to you.”

“I believe that being heartbroken is the least of his problems.”

“I know. But he is more pissed about losing Jongin rather than the rest. Of course, he lost his future and all his dreams, but Jongin sacrificed himself so that Kyungsoo would escape. So, Kyungsoo thinks that it’s his fault that Jongin had been abducted for good. And for me, that’s real love.”

“No wonder why he still hopes that he is alive.”

“So, have you experienced a big love yet?” Sehun insisted.

“I don’t think so,” Luhan admitted. “Have you?”

“I’m in the process of,” Sehun winked and Luhan felt his cheeks turn red. He cleared his throat and got up.

“It’s late and I have to go to that house again and try if they respond this time,” Luhan said, not meeting the boy’s eyes.

“It’s not that late,” Sehun tried to say, but Luhan had already gotten dressed. He could have offered him to stay, but he didn’t want his relationship to get more complicated than it was already. Luhan feared that he would start feeling more than what he should. This was a business relationship that had accidently turned into a friendship that lately had turned _physical_. Luhan knew that he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop it either. And he was terrified every time that his heart started beating fast because of Sehun, because Luhan knew that they weren’t really dating.

######

Jaehyun had finished the basketball practice for the day. They had scheduled practices twice a week, plus some additional when they had a match. The practices took place after school, when mostly all the clubs’ activities took place. Mark was going to finish late today, but Jaehyun had promised to wait for him. Jaehyun didn’t mind. He took his time showering and changing to waste his time. But still he had about half an hour to go when he said good bye to his teammates and strolled down the street to the nearby café and got himself a milkshake.

He slowly walked back to school, the light now getting dimmer and dimmer. The lights of the windows of the shops slowly started beaming, the Christmas preparations just around the corner now. Jaehyun felt the chilly wind on his face, but he enjoyed his cold drink never the less. He had just crossed the gate, when he heard some people arguing. Jaehyun stopped and looked around. He didn’t want to ran into them and get involved. He had enough trouble already with the bullies as it was.

Jaehyun carefully moved towards the shadows that were created by the building. He had calculated that they voices were coming from the side of the gym, but the auditorium was just next to it and there was no other way around it. Jaehyun hoped that the boys fighting would be busy yelling to each other to notice him walking by. He gathered his strength and tried to walk as close to the wall as possible.

Step by step, he could hear the voices grow louder and he couldn’t help but overhear what they were saying.

“I said I’m sorry!” one of them was shouting. “But, it’s your fault as well.”

“How is it my fault?” the other replied angrily.

“You didn’t pick up your phone or notified any of us on where you were!”

“I was busy. And you could have waited and not interfere!”

“I was worried!”

Jaehyun made himself walk quicker. He recognized the voices now. It was Taeyong and his friend from their class, Jungkook. Jaehyun hadn’t seen Taeyong in school again the day he spotted him talking to that man in the suit. The boy come the next day, but stayed only for the first period and then was missing for a few days after that as well. Jaehyun was kind of curious on what had happened to him. His mind only could picture him as a real gang member missing school to go and rob houses or something.

“You should have waited!” Taeyong repeated, now his voice coming from afar. Jaehyun had made it unnoticed. But he didn’t slower his pace until he was safely inside the auditorium. The hallways of the building were dark, but the music from the music club’s rehearsals was echoing everywhere. Jaehyun took a sip from his milkshake, now almost lukewarm from the heat of his hand, trying to calm himself down. He was safe now. Even if the boys were still outside when Mark had finished, Jaehyun wouldn’t be alone when getting out to face them. Mark wouldn’t be long now. Jaehyun could hear their music teacher’s instructions that sounded like the final ones.

It happened really quickly that Jaehyun almost lost his balance, as he flew on the lockers, Taeyong immobilizing him, his arm against Jaehyun’s throat. Jaehyun’s mind went blank from the shock. For the first time he was really scared of the boy of the neighbor desk.

“I saw you that day,” Taeyong hissed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jaehyun tried to say, but Taeyong’s arm made it hard to breath, let alone speak. The boy’s face was just inches away from his, his eyes sparkling with anger.

“You know very well. And if you say something to anyone, even your little American friend, I’ll kill you. And I don’t make threats that I can’t carry out!” Taeyong barked. Jaehyun believed him. The boy’s appearance didn’t just scream bad boy material from afar, they yelled criminal. And Jaehyun had experienced firsthand his and his friends’ violence. They made school for him almost unbearable for months now.

“If you don’t want me to talk, leave my friend and me alone,” Jaehyun said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“You’re not in the position to negotiate. I am not asking you. I am commanding you,” Taeyong replied.

“You can’t command me. I’m not in your gang. I just want to finish this year as quietly as possible. Can’t you just ignore us?”

“Can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Taeyong started laughing. Which made Jaehyun even more nervous. “If you are stupid enough to haven’t figured it out yet, we are the wolves and you are the sick sheep of the group. We all have rolls to fulfill. We can’t just ignore you. It wouldn’t be fair for the others.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in the hierarchic system,” Jaehyun pushed on. He didn’t know where the boldness to talk back to him came from, but he was proud of himself for finding the courage to do so. He remembered Taeyong saying to the history teacher in front of the whole class, about the unfairness of the social classes and the way they were reflected into the school system. The teacher sent him straight to the principal’s office, but Jaehyun was impressed by the way Taeyong seemed to be thinking.

“Some things are hard to change,” Taeyong admitted, looking taken aback. “Just keep your mouth shut.”

Jaehyun wanted to plead his case furthermore, but the boy released him and disappeared in the darkness of the corridors, just in time when the music room’s door burst open and the echo of the music was now replaced by the footsteps and the loud, cheerful voices of the kids of the music club.

######

Jungkook was seriously pissed by Taeyong. The boy was acting weird for days now. He kept skipping school or he came and left and he never contacted any of them, even though all of the boys kept trying to call him. Jungkook finally got the message from Taeyong this afternoon to meet him behind the gym after school.

When he arrived, Taeyong was nowhere to be seen. Jungkook waited for him, as the boy didn’t reply to his messages or calls and finally Taeyong arrived an hour late. If Jungkook hoped for an apology or even an explanation, he was a fool. Taeyong not only did not apologize, he started yelling at him. He was mad at him for visiting his mother and alarming her. Jungkook was sorry for doing so, but he couldn’t see why Taeyong was so upset about it. He hadn’t done something terribly wrong. And it wasn’t like he didn’t have his own problems to care for. He had problems at work, with his boss not paying him what he owned him, and of course the school problems.

Jungkook kicked some rubbish bins down, hoping to lessen his anger, which didn’t of course. He wanted to punch someone, Taeyong preferably. He went to the bus stop, moving impatiently back and worth, getting the irritated side glances from the other passengers waiting.

Jungkook stepped closer to the edge of the curb, as the bus approached down the road. And then he made a hasty decision. The vehicle has just stopped in front of him, when Jungkook pushed through the crowd behind him and ran back to school.

He met the kids from music club at the gate, but he ignored them and ran into the main building. The light at the main entrance was still light, but the rest of the building was dark. Jungkook used his phone as flashlight to navigate himself up the stairs, to the second floor. He quickly found the classroom he was looking for, as a dim light was coming out of it.

He opened the door, half expecting the room to be full with geeks solving math problems. Instead, he found the class’s president alone, arranging some papers.

“You will tutor me,” Jungkook said, as Taehyung looked at him with surprise. “I am not joining your silly club. I will not come to a group meeting with your geek friends. You alone will tutor me in math and I will keep your secret about the hip hop club. I can even introduce you to Yoongi’s best friend. You won’t say anything to anyone, not even the teachers. And we won’t be friends, just business partners, understand?”

Jungkook draw a deep breath.  He knew that his reasoning was false. But it was a rush decision and he was angry at Taeyong and the homeroom teacher and his boss. But now saying everything aloud to the boy, his anger was gone and everything sounded silly.

“Whatever, just forget about it,” Jungkook said and turned to leave.

“I’ll do it,” Taehyung replied calmly. “I’ll tutor you.”

######

Luhan had visited the house four times already. And the more he got rejected, the more he got obsessed on finding out what the house was hiding inside it. Luhan asked around the neighbor farms about the whereabouts of the owner. Apparently, the girl living in the house had a few visitors now and then, but mostly she stayed at home. The farmers warned Luhan to better not go there alone, as she kept dogs in the house and at the back yard.

Luhan took notes of everything they could tell him about the house and the owner. He even went to the local library and searched for old newspapers that had information on the house and its family. It was the typical method that he followed when he had a new artifact to discover.

He was glad that he had that house to distract him.  Luhan knew himself because he liked to have his own routine to follow. And Sehun was an out of his comfort zone factor. He confused Luhan and made him act irrationally. And that happened from the very first day they met.  Luhan would never have let himself be so emotionally influenced in work issues. And yet, he let Sehun get into his mind and make him obsess over him. Then he would never have allowed himself to let business be let so many days unsettled. And yet, it had been three months since Sehun broke the vase and still he hadn’t signed the papers to settle his dept. Luhan would have never got friendly with a client. But he had gotten closer to Sehun, learning about his friend and helping him out. And then he made the worse thing he could have possibly made. He slept with him.

It was after the second time he went to the house and got no response from the owner. Luhan was very disappointed in himself and a little irritated. He had driven for about an hour to get there, after working five hours straight at the museum. And, as soon as he arrived back to his office, his secretary handed him an envelope from his father. Luhan opened it, curious to see what his father had sent him. He didn’t expect any papers from China, and if it was something else, his father would have had his people sent it to Luhan via email. But it wasn’t any work papers. Inside the envelope were tickets to Shanghai in Luhan’s name.

Luhan called his father, irritated. His father started yelling at him about intentionally delaying his departure and accused him for being worthless for not being able to make Sehun pay his dept. The old man didn’t let Luhan explain to him about his new discovery, but he cried that he was ashamed for having him as a son and hang up. Luhan started smashing everything on his desk to feed his anger. His secretary got scared and left early, leaving him alone. Just then, Sehun called and after Luhan explained to him what had happened, he commanded him to go to the nearest bar and wait for him. Luhan picked the one in his hotel. If he was to get drunk, he didn’t want to have to get a ride back home.

That was his first mistake. The second was letting Sehun get him drunk. Luhan was a bad drinker. He usually got tipsy after the second drink. That night, he probably had nine. Probably, because he couldn’t remember anything that had happened after drink number five. When he woke up, the first thing he did was to rush to the toilet and throw up. He barely made it. Then, his stomach and head were trying to kill him slowly and mercilessly. He had a pill and a glass of water and returned to bed to burry himself under the covers for the rest of the day, or until the pills kicked in.

 And then he froze in shock when he discovered that his bed was occupied by Sehun. It wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened. The room was a mess, clothes were hanging even from the drawing in the living room. Luhan hurled himself in the corner, pressing his head on his knees. This couldn’t be happening. What was wrong with him?

Luhan couldn’t tell how long he stayed there in the corner, though his muscles started to hurt by the stillness, when he felt Sehun’s warm arm around his shoulders. Luhan instantly pushed him away and jumped up. The quick movement shocked his numbed limps and he lost his balance and missteped. However, Sehun was up quick enough to catch him and take him up in his arms, caring him to the living room sofa.

“Just stop touching me!” Luhan snapped, feeling ashamed and at the same time, in pain for hurting Sehun.

“Okay, okay, calm down,” Sehun retreated. “I’ll take a seat here, okay? Not touching.” He was calm, like he was dealing with a wild animal.

“This shouldn’t have happened,” Luhan murmured, covering his face with his hands. He didn’t want to look at him. He didn’t want to see the look on his face as he was looking at him.

“I know that this must feel bad…”

“It is bad!”

“Yes, but it can also… be…you know…um…not bad.”

Luhan picked at him through his fingers. “It is bad and it can’t be any different.”

“It doesn’t have to be. We are both adults and we both have problems. For the way I see it, we enjoy each other’s company, we are single and we are not looking for a complicated relationship. My schedule is a mess and you have to go back to China, so we both can’t be in a serious relationship right now. Am I wrong?”

Luhan shook his head. He was curious to know where he was getting with it. And Sehun was a smooth talker.

“From the way I see it, we can have this kind of relationship for now and just help each other through. It will be like a business relationship. Everything will be for the benefit of each partner and we can terminate it whenever one of us doesn’t feel like he gains anything out of it anymore.”

“It will never work.”

“You don’t know that. You can’t be sure, because you haven’t tried it yet.”

“Have you? I mean, have you done it before?” Luhan asked, feeling a little hurt. Was he one of Sehun’s victims?

“No. Believe it or not, but I am not a playboy or anything. But I feel that I can do it with you. I trust you. And I can promise you that I will not fall in love with you. Can you?” Sehun dared him. Luhan dropped his hands and stared at him. The boy was serious. And he had a point. And that’s when Luhan made the third mistake. He should have thought that one through. He should have been more rational. But right then Sehun was daring him. And he wanted to prove him that he was all that. The cold hearted CEO that didn’t mess with feelings when it came to business.

“I will not fall for you,” Luhan said firmly.

“Then we have a deal?”

“We have a deal,” Luhan agreed and shook Sehun’s hand.

Luhan was so sure that day. He even felt happy that he was that cool modern guy who could do as he pleased. If it wasn’t for that quick heartbeat that Sehun caused him from time to time, like when he smiled at him, or was sweet with him, or teased him, Luhan would have been positive that his new business agreement was working just fine. But Luhan was positive that he could control it.

That was true until he had his grand opening at the museum. They had a big event organized, with a symposium and gala, where the elite of the entire East Asia were invited. Luhan felt proud. His hard work had finally paid off. He devoured the delicious feeling of satisfaction he got from each look of admiration and disbelief every employee and visitor had when they looked upon Luhan’s exhibition.

Luhan wore his dark blue tuxedo, with a black shirt underneath and his hair combed neatly back. He just strolled through the guests, smiling and greeting everyone warmly, thanking them for their congratulations. Luhan felt happy and excited. He was the centre of the room and he was proud. That was until he saw Sehun near the bar. He was talking to a small group of men, a glass of champagne in his one hand. The model was smiling charmingly and Luhan stood by the corner of his group of people, enjoying watching Sehun. He hadn’t had time to go through the whole list of guests; he only pin point some of the most important names. But he wasn’t surprised to see Sehun there. He was a man of the world, just like him. For the first time, Luhan wished that he could go over there, put his arm around Sehun’s waist and show him around. Luhan felt a little bad for thinking like that. But he felt way worse when a tall, beautiful girl, in a dark blue silk dress approached Sehun’s group, put her arm around his waist and smiled up at him. Sehun didn’t look alarmed. He smiled back at her and put his arm around her shoulders. This started as the best night of Luhan’s life. It turned out to be the worst.

######

Jaehyun didn’t say what happened to Mark. He wanted to, but that would also mean that he would have to explain to him about the incident with Taeyong and that guy in front of school. Jaehyun didn’t want to admit, but Taeyong had managed to scare him off. However, that also meant that he had now two big secrets to keep from his best friend.

Mark must have felt that something was off, as he stared at Jaehyun in silent throughout the lunch break.

“What is it?” Jaehyun demanded.

“Nothing. You just look worried. Did something happen in your club?”

“No, nothing. Everything is fine, actually.” Jaehyun was doing great at his club. The coach was very satisfied with his performances and he promised that Jaehyun would start in the team for their next game. Also, he started having more friends among his classmates and his basketball team. Mark said that they had become popular, but Jaehyun didn’t feel so. Sure, they were invited to parties and to karaoke sessions after school, or they kept founding notes from girls under their desks, but Jaehyun still felt a little of a loner.

“Is it still on for the afternoon? Minjae will be waiting,” Mark asked.

“Sure, I don’t have practice today,” Jaehyun said, when he felt someone grabbing him from the shoulder and forcing him up. Jaehyun panicked. Was it the bullies again? Sure enough, it was Taeyong.

“Come with me,” he commanded and took off, without letting go of Jaehyun’s arm.

“What is this? Let me go!” Jaehyun pleaded, but they were out of the cafeteria, heading outside. Jaehyun turned to look back at Mark, who was standing at the door of the cafeteria, ready to storm after him, but Jaehyun nodded him to stay back. They both knew that Mark couldn’t help him now, but he would only get himself beaten up.

Taeyong led him at the back of the gym, where the rest of his friends were waiting for them. Jaehyun tried to calm himself, but he felt fear and panic taking the best of him. He knew that he was going to be beaten up and left there to be found. Jaehyun was largely built, but he couldn’t defend himself when about eight boys would want nothing less but to kill him. So, this was the price for standing up for himself to Taeyong.

Taeyong pushed Jaehyun in front of the group of boys, who yelled in excitement.

“This is the place we hang out. Remember that. Be here every day at lunch break,” Taeyong said and set somewhere behind the boys. The rest gathered around Jaehyun, staring at him.

“Why?” Jaehyun piped, feeling the scary smirks of everyone around him. Jaehyun was terrified. He could imagine his life now being a living torture, having to get daily bullied.

“Jungkook will show you around and teach you our ways,” Taeyong ignored Jaehyun’s question.

“What?” Jungkook snapped, separating himself from the crowd. “I don’t have the time to…”

“Why? What is more important than to do what I’m asking you to do?” Taeyong replied, irritation visible in his voice.

“I...I have to work,” Jungkook tried to defend himself.

“You have plenty of time after that.”

“What? Why will I have to tutor this flop?”

“Jungkook, we discussed all this. He’s one of us now, and I want you to be his mentor. Are you saying that you can’t do it?”

Now all eyes were on the boy, who was still trying to get out of the messy situation. Taeyong was, however, quite the leader. He was not only a smooth talker, but he also had some short of authority and none could refuse. But Jaehyun had more important things to think about than Taeyong’s and Jungkook’s conflict.

“Wait. What do you mean one of you now?” Jaehyun asked, his voice echoing clearly over the rest of the boys’. Now their eyes were all back on him.

“Didn’t you ask to be part of our team?” Taeyong asked, innocently.

“No, when did I…?”

“Look here!” one of the boys approached viciously Jaehyun. “Taeyong decided that a trash like you can join us. We don’t get it, but if Taeyong had decided on it, he knows what he’s doing. So, you will shut your hole and do as we tell you to.”

The boy gave Jaehyun a push and Jaehyun stumbled and almost fell, which caused the rest of the boys start laughing.

“That’s enough,” Taeyong barked, and everyone fell silent. “Jungkook, take the newbie in a tour and show him our meeting points.”

“Break time is almost over,” Jungkook nagged.

“So?”

“Wait! I don’t want to miss class,” Jaehyun murmured, but Jungkook was already dragging him from the sleeve away from the group.

“Can’t we do this after school?” Jaehyun asked the boy, trying to get his arm released.

“I have work after school,” Jungkook replied, without stopping.

“Can’t we arrange a meeting some other time? I’m practically free all day, except from basketball practice.”

“I don’t have time. Just let’s get this over with,” Jungkook snapped and Jaehyun understood that he wasn’t going to convince him to let him go back to class. At that point, Jaehyun seriously hated Taeyong.

######

Taeyong was being childish and immature, Jungkook concluded, as he rushed to the bus and got in. He was seriously late and all because of Taeyong and his clever idea of recruiting a new member. Up until now, he had allowed them to pick on him and now all of a sudden he judged that he was to become one of them? No one really understood Taeyong’s motives, as he gathered them that morning and just spat out that he decided to give that boy a chance to prove himself. Of course, they were open to new members, but they usually were from the lower ranks of school, not the rising basketball star, who was the talk of school. What business did the golden boy have to do with them?

Clearly, none, as he kept pouting all the time, as Jungkook showed him their meeting places, the best ways to get out of school unnoticed, the best convenient stores that shelled them liquor and the neighborhoods where the best parties and skateboard challenges were held. The boy kept looking around like he was going to get shot at any minute, tried to smile at him every time Jungkook asked him something, and just kept quiet, after he realized that complaining about missing classes and about not wanting to join them was not getting him anywhere. Jungkook was as pissed off about the situation as he was and he would have preferred being in the classroom, being bored to death, than walking around Seoul with that lump.

But, of course, he couldn’t deny Taeyong’s order. Taeyong was pleasant and nice, as long as you didn’t question his decisions. And clearly, Jungkook was not all onboard the latest one. He only hoped that either Taeyong stopped picking on him, or that the boy convinced him that he truly didn’t want to be one of them. Either way, Jungkook couldn’t handle his part time job, teaching the new guy their ways and studying for the finals. He would be forced to leave one out and he feared that that would be the tutoring.

He arrived at school about one hour late. He had sent the boy a text to wait for him, but it had gotten dark by the time Jungkook ran in the hallways, almost certain that Taehyung had already left. But the boy was still there, behind a pile of math books, playing a game in his cell phone.

“I’m late, sorry,” Jungkook murmured, though he was grateful that the guy had waited for him that long. Was he afraid of him? It was the first time Jungkook actually cared of what his classmates thought of him.

“Its fine,” Taehyung replied, not taking his eyes off his game.

Jungkook waited for him to finish his game, as the boy inhaled and exhaled deeply, yelling to his device from time to time. When he finally put the phone away in his pocket, he tossed two big notebooks to Jungkook.

“These are my notes from the beginning,” the boy said and Jungkook opened one, terrified by the size of the book.

“These aren’t the ones the teacher has taught us,” Jungkook complained.

“We can’t start from the middle. Math need strong basis and you’ve got a solid one, but only from a few years ago.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’ve seen your last semester’s math exam,” Taehyung said causally.

“What? How?”

“I asked the teacher and she gave it to me.”

“Just like that? And by the way, I told you not to say anything to anyone. Does the teacher know?”

“Yes. And you said that I mustn’t talk to my friends about it. But don’t worry. She promised not to mention anything to anyone. Plus, she’ll stop bothering you about finding a tutor.”

“That’s a relief at least. But, if word goes out that I…”

“It won’t. She’s the last person I’ll ever tell your secret to. Don’t worry,” Taehyung said and packed his bag.

“What are you doing? Aren’t we going to study?” Jungkook asked alarmed.

“You are going to learn all the curriculum off those two notebooks for next time,” Taehyung said and left the room. Was this some kind of punishment because he was late?

“Wait,” Jungkook called after him and rushed in the hallway. He caught up with him at the staircase.

“Those are too big for next time. I need two weeks for them.”

“Those are just the start. We have a long way to go till you are ready for the exams curriculum.”

“What? Look here…”

“Do you want to at least have a decent mark at your final exams?”

Jungkook nodded. He didn’t want to become a doctor or a lawyer, but he still dreamed of going to a college or something.

“Then do as I say. It won’t be easy, but we can do it. Just don’t give up,” Taehyung said and disappeared down the stairs. Jungkook slowly walked back to the classroom to gather his stuff.

It was the first time the class president had gone tough with him. He didn’t like it, and under other circumstances, he would have probably made him regret it. But when the boy said ‘we’ he felt like he was in a group, that he had someone on his team, cheering for him.

######

Sehun had called him more than fifteen times. But Luhan couldn’t bring himself to pick up his phone. He couldn’t trust his voice just yet to not get trebling and betray him. He tried to convince himself that he didn’t care. Why should he? He was his business partner, not his actual boyfriend. They were just sleeping together and comforting each other, but there couldn’t be anything more to it. Luhan was an idiot to start having feelings for him.

He was irritated with himself for being a coward. He sent an excuse to Sehun that he was busy, and stayed in his room for the rest of the day, just watching drama and eating ice cream that his secretary had brought for him. He was lying but he didn’t want to confront Sehun, not just yet. And then, Sehun sent him a message that he was coming over. Luhan panicked. He rashly replied to him that he was on his way to visit the mansion and he ran down to the hotel’s parking, got his car and as quickly as possible, drove out of Seoul. He felt his heartbeat in his ears, drumming like crazy and he kept looking in the mirror, fearing that he would spot Sehun’s car in the reflection. His panic only ceased as he pulled in the mansion’s yard. Luhan climbed up the stairs two at the time, feeling like he was repeating himself. He had started to believe that none was living in the house and that the neighbors were messing with him.

But this time was different. He was about to ring the bell again, when he heard something breaking. Luhan froze. The noise came from the back of the house, but it was the first time he had some kind of evidence of a living creature, habituating the old mansion. Luhan ran to the back garden, without thinking it through. He was excited. His hunting was finally moving to the second stage, after playing hide and seek for so many weeks now. He didn’t even think of the neighbors’ warnings of wild dogs at the back. He tiptoed towards the jungle like bushes that occupied a good amount of land at the back of the house. Luhan hide himself behind the leafy walls, picking through the cracks. He had tried to go through them before, but with no success. He could still see only some old, routing garden furniture and rubbish everywhere.

But this time there was something else as well. On one of the chairs, there was a man seating. Luhan’s eyes widen. The guy was wearing a dark green suit and Luhan could make out a table with a tea set set in front of him. On the ground, next to him, there was a pot broken into large pieces. So, that was the source of the noise Luhan had heard.

Luhan was about to yell to the man to make his presence known, when he noticed that his arms were wrapped on the chair’s handles by wires. Luhan froze in terror. What was happening? What was this? His hand moved towards the mobile phone he had inside his pocket. But he never reached it. A sharp pain exploded his head and he felt dark blankness taking over, before hitting the ground hard.

######

“You are crazy! You are not taking that thing to school!” Jaehyun cried over the phone. Mark had spent two full nights making a collage of Sehun’s pictorials. He had finally finished it and he wanted to show it to Jaehyun.

“Then where? When are you planning on meeting me? You have practice with the team and when you don’t, you hang out with your new friends,” Mark complained.

“I told you what happened,” Jaehyun said. He had told him almost what had happened, only leaving the Taeyong incident out. Mark didn’t need to know, in case that turned boomerang on him like it did with Jaehyun.

“Just tell them that you don’t want to be part of this,” Mark replied.

“I can’t. You know how they are.”

“We have friends now.”

“That’s what I thought. But they don’t take no for an answer.”

“Jaehyun, I’m worried about you!”

“Don’t be. I’ll be fine,” Jaehyun lied. He was waiting for Jungkook to come and get him after practice, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. He waited for about one hour, and then he made up his mind that he wasn’t coming. He sent him a text and took off.

“How about I come over now? I’ve got time off.”

“You do? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Jaehyun laughed. This had actually worked out fine. Sure, Taeyong would be furious tomorrow, but he wasn’t the one to blame really. Jaehyun took the subway, feeling really happy. He felt even better when he left Mark’s place late that night. Junmyeon had called about five times till he arrived to make sure that he reached home safely. He still didn’t trust him to navigate Seoul’s streets.

He could hear loud laugher, as he was unlocking the door of the house. Was Kyungsoo in a good mood?

“Shut the hell up! People are trying to sleep here!” Jaehyun heard Kyungsoo call, as he took his shoes out. He was certain that he heard an unfamiliar laugher from the living room, so if it wasn’t Kyungsoo, then maybe Sehun had a guest over. Jaehyun quietly passed the corridor straight to his room. He wanted to give Sehun his privacy. Plus, he wanted to avoid the awkward meeting with Sehun’s guest.

“Kid, is that you?” Jaehyun heard Sehun calling him, as he was about to open his bedroom’s door. “Come over here. I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”

Jaehyun cursed. He didn’t like meeting people he didn’t know and he would probably never see again.  Jaehyun slowly entered the living room, not sure if he had to say hello first, or Sehun would do the introductions. But there was no need for that. Jaehyun froze as he saw the boy next to Sehun. It was Taeyong! Taeyong seemed baffled seeing him as well, though Sehun didn’t seem to notice.

“Here you are! Taeyong, this is my friend’s cousin, Jaehyun. He lives with us. Jae, this is Taeyong, he is the new guy of our agency.”

New guy in their agency? What? That meant…was Taeyong a model? That actually made sense. The guy who was talking to him must have been a street casting guy from Sehun’s agency. Plus, that would explain Taeyong’s absence from school and why the teachers didn’t seem to complain.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to come sit with us?” Sehun eyed Jaehyun, who moved slowly towards the sofa, not sure what to say. Should he explain to Sehun that he already knew Taeyong? Or should he keep it a secret?

“What’s with those faces?” Sehun asked them before Jaehyun made up his mind on what to do.

“Actually, we are in the same class,” Taeyong finally said. The boy sounded so different. He wasn’t that aggressive leader wanna be. He actually sounded more like a normal high school student.

“Really? That’s interesting. Jaehyun hasn’t mentioned that before,” Sehun said, glaring at Jaehyun.

“I didn’t know you two knew each other,” Jaehyun explained.

“I haven’t said anything about it to class yet,” Taeyong chipped in. “I also didn’t know you two know each other either.”

“Then it’s a great coincidence!” Sehun said excited.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me. It’s a school day tomorrow and I should head home,” Taeyong said, halting Sehun who was ready to start firing them with questions.

“Um, sure. Jaehyun will show you out, as you two know each other and all,” Sehun replied.

“Finally!” Kyungsoo yelled from his room.

Jaehyun hide his smile, as he took Taeyong to the door.

“Can you walk me to the bus stop?” Taeyong asked. He was still gentle and polite, as Sehun was still in earshot, Jaehyun figured.

“Uh, sure.” Was he going to yell at him about missing the initiation process with Jungkook?

“You know you can’t say anything about this to anyone, right?” Taeyong said, after letting them walk in silence for a few minutes.

“I know. But, just in case, don’t you think this thing is getting a bit out of control? You make me keep your secret, but for how long? Someone will see you, sooner or later. Don’t you do advertisements or something?”

“Mind your own business.”

“Sure. But, I think it’s better if they hear it from you and not find out on their own.”

“I said…”

“Okay, I won’t say anything else. Here’s the bus stop,” Jaehyun said and pointed to it.

“By the way, Jungkook didn’t show up today. Just in case he says that I was the one to ditch him or something.”

“Noted. Thank you.”

“For what?” Jaehyun asked confused. He never dreamed of listening to Taeyong thanking him for something.

“For showing me the bus stop.”

“Sure,” Jaehyun replied and left. So, Taeyong was playing nice so that Jaehyun wouldn’t tell on him to Sehun. Maybe Jaehyun could take advantage of that and ask to be out of the gang.

######

******

She was furious and she unleashed everything on Taeil. The poor boy happened to be in the “play room” when she burst in screaming like a demon. I was in the hallway when I saw her lock the room with Taeil in it. I knocked and begged her to leave him alone, but she ignored my pleads. She finally opened and let me in when she had finished.

“Fix him up,” she barked at me and vanished into the maze she called a house. I rushed inside to find Taeil all bloody, curled in a corner. A quiet moan was coming out of him, as he cried slowly. I was shocked by the sight of him, as a small lake of angry red blood was forming around him. But I didn’t have time to mourn or feel sorry. We were used to it, her mood swings and her cruelty, along with her madness. And I had to save Taeil’s life and soon.

I ran down to the kitchen and fetched water and a clean cloth, along with some medicine that she kept in a cardboard for situations like this one. She was cruel, but she wanted us alive, or barely alive.

Taeil was silent as I wrapped him up and tried to stop his bleeding. She has used her electric shock gun as well, as Taeil had burned marks on his skin. When I was finally satisfied with my treatment, I carried him in his bedroom. The boy was lighter than he was when he first arrived here, so it was easier for me to carry him.

I had put him in his bed, when she appeared at the door. She set on the bed, petting Taeil’s hair.

“I’m sorry my love,” she whispered, as tears appeared down Taeil’s sharp cheekbones. “It wasn’t your fault. It was that noisy ones. But I took care of him.”

“You killed him?” I couldn’t help but ask. I have seen the guy coming here and knocking at the door nearly every day. She was furious every time he came and I had to calm her down, else she took it on one of us. But today, I wasn’t around to prevent what happened. She had sent me into the living room as soon as she heard the car pulling in. We were having a tea party outside in the garden, me, Taeil and Jongin. She pulled Taeil in first, then me, but she didn’t have time for Jongin. She left him there last, because she knew that he wouldn’t react. These days, I wasn’t even sure if he could communicate with his surroundings. But I was wrong. Because, as soon as she disappeared from the living room, leaving me there with the boy, we heard something being smashed on the dirt. Her footsteps stopped drumming down the hallway, and we all held our breath to see what will happen next.

But all I’ve heard is her cursing, as she was pulling something in, dragging it up the stairs. At the time, I thought it was Jongin, but then she called me out to go and bring him in. I found Jongin exactly where we had left him, tightened up on his garden chair. And there were fragments of a broken pot right next to him.

“I’m proud of you,” I whispered to him, as I untied him. If there was a spark in his eyes when he did it, it was gone now. But I knew that Jongin hadn’t given up. He had tried to do something to help his situation. But my joy was mixed with some sadness. Because now I was sure that she had gotten him. And she didn’t really like those who she didn’t pick up to become our family.

######

Jungkook knew he was in trouble. He had forgotten about Jaehyun all together, as he was doing his homework with Taehyung. The boy had made him learn two huge notebooks with math notes in them in one week, and Jungkook could feel the sleepless nights taking their toll on him. He almost missed his stop, as he slept in the subway and then he went straight to bed, getting only up with Seokjin woke him to feed him. Seokjin knew that something was off, but he didn’t say anything, as he could see Jungkook’s light on all night. So, clearly, he was approving.

“You don’t have to be so hard on yourself, you know,” he said, as he watched Jungkook eat. Jungkook didn’t know he was hungry until he smelled the warm food on his plate. He couldn’t remember the last time he had something to eat, as these days he only tried to remember equations and chemical systems and theories. Taehyung had taken upon him to teach him all the curriculum needed for the final exams from the start. Jungkook would have revolved as soon as he had seen the first huge assignments, but he didn’t. Taehyung quickly pointed out that Jungkook was the one coming to him asking for help and that he wasn’t really doing it to help himself.

At least Taehyung understood him the way no one of his friends did. He didn’t approach him during school and avoided talking to him if not necessary, because he was afraid of Jungkook’s friends. But he didn’t look down on him like Jungkook always thought. He was actually very funny and easy going and Jungkook found himself liking spending time with him, talking to him about his future. Taehyung didn’t judge him, and that helped Jungkook open up to him. He wasn’t afraid to admit to the boy that he didn’t have any dream about his future, but that he was too afraid to tell his parents that he didn’t want to live their dream either. Becoming a doctor was not something Jungkook wanted to do for his life, and it wasn’t possible either, but he didn’t want to disappoint his family.

“My parents are like that as well,” Taehyung said. “They want me to become a judge, but I hate that. I want to become a teacher, but that is not what my mother will agree on. She thinks that it is something below me, like there is a scale where on the top are the professions that are prestigious and will definitely make you depressed, and everything that can make you happy is worthless.”

Jungkook nodded. He understood him completely. If only he could talk to Taeyong like that. But the boy was acting weird these days. And he was completely mad when Jungkook showed up at school that day. He was battling with himself whether to go or not, but he finally made up his mind and decided not to chicken out of that one. He had to face Taeyong and the more he put it off, the madder the boy would be.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear,” Jungkook said, before Taeyong start screaming at him.

“You had a responsibility and you sold us out,” Taeyong barked.

“Ease up, Tae,” one of the boys said, half joking half serious. “Jungkook was busy. Let it go.”

“I was busy as well when you first joined, but I showed you around,” Taeyong snapped.

“It’s okay,” Jaehyun piped. “We can do it another time.”

“No, it’s not okay. He should take this seriously. This isn’t a game. We are a team and everyone has a role. If he wants to continue being in this team, he should act accordingly. This is give and take, not only take.”

“I said I didn’t do it on purpose. I made a mistake.”

“And you should be punished.”

“That’s a little extreme,” Jaehyun commented.

“Are you going to tell me now how to lead these boys?” Taeyong growled to the boy, and Jungkook kind of felt sorry for him. He still didn’t know Taeyong well…but he didn’t know Taeyong well anymore either.

“I am new here, so I don’t know much. But for what I’ve heard, you show the other boys around. As the leader, shouldn’t you be the one doing the same thing for me and not letting other guys do it for you? I mean, what are you doing after school?” Jaehyun pressed on. All the other boys were silent. Usually, they would have attacked the boy for talking back to Taeyong, but this time they knew he was right. Maybe they were starting to accept him as one of them.

“I’ll let you off this time. But it’s a warning!” Taeyong said to Jungkook and left. Jaehyun smiled, like something was funny about the whole situation and left as well. Some of the boys patted Jungkook’s shoulder, looking relieved.

“Thank God there was this fool Jaehyun or else Taeyong would have killed you.”

“Yeah, something is bothering him these days. He doesn’t hang out with us in the afternoon either.”

“Maybe he is studying for the finals,” one of the boys said and everyone started laughing.

“What a nerd,” a big boy next to Jungkook said.

“Yes,” Jungkook agreed, feeling the back of his neck sour. “What a nerd.”

######

Luhan woke up with a headache. The room was dark and he reached for the light on his nightstand, but the only thing he could feel was something metallic and full of dust. Luhan was confused and still dizzy. What was happening? And then he remembered the boy strapped on the garden chair. Luhan jumped up from where he was laying and tried to search for his cell phone. But it wasn’t in his pocket, of course. A cold feeling of dizziness and pure fear overpowered him. He was kidnapped, just like the boy in the garden.

After a few minutes of panic, Luhan tried to calm himself, not fully gasping the situation. However, he told himself that he should take control over the situation. First, he must gather all the information he could about where he was and who his kidnappers were. He looked around and studied the room. It was dark, but some deep rays of light came in from small holes on the roof. Luhan could make out old furniture, tones of spider web and dust everywhere. The ceiling had a leaning angle, so Luhan was clearly in an attic. And, judging from his surroundings, he was in the mansion’s roof. Luhan had been longing for months now to get inside the house, and now that he was, he wanted nothing more than to get out of there.

He wasn’t sure how much time it had passed, though his hunger grew bigger and bigger, as did his headache. He was wondering whether this was one well orchestrated mission to get him and make his father pay the ransom to have him free.  Luhan was worried that if that was the case, maybe his father would leave him there to rote. He could try for another son with his new, young wife, if Luhan was dead. Probably a son that wasn’t as big of a disappointment as he was, one that would have been interested in running a business rather than hunting down old treasures.

Luhan’s thoughts started growing wilder and wilder, when a crooked noise was heard from behind him. Luhan jumped up immediately. A harsh light came from the floor, making him temporary blind, until the door on the floor was closed. When Luhan’s sight was again adjusted to darkness again, he spotted movement near the corner on the other side of the room. Luhan was scared, but he approached anyway, so he could take a better look at the man who had entered.

He was arranging some plates and boxes, having his back at him, so Luhan couldn’t really see his face, but, from the size of his body, he was bigger than him. Could Luhan fight his way out? Was this man the only one in the room, or was he the errant boy, sent here to bring him food and water?

“Who are you?” Luhan finally asked, his voice sounding weaker than he intended it to be.

“Someone like you,” the man answered back, without turning to face Luhan.

“What does that mean?” Luhan asked again.

“It means that you shouldn’t have come here,” the guy said, this time getting up.

“This is all a joke,” Luhan laughed nervously. He didn’t know his copping mechanism was laughing and he was kind of embarrassed by it. It made him look weak. “If money is all you want, than you better start negotiating…”

“I told you I am just like you. And this is not a joke. You should take this seriously, because things will get a lot worse than this when she comes. I’m not trying to scare you, but you should know what lies ahead.” The look on the guy’s face was serious. He was pale, and he had blood on his clothes. Was he abducted as well?

“Who is she?” Luhan choked.

“I don’t know. She never told me her name. But do not underestimate her.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know. Five years? Could be more or less. Time stays still here.”

“Why didn’t you try to escape?”

“I tried, but failed. You should know something right now, so things won’t be worse than they will be. There is no hope for us now.”

“My father will pay the money she asks…”

“She doesn’t do it for the money.”

“Than for what?”

“Her pleasure, I think. She says we are family.”

“Are there more?”

“Two more, an older one and another who came recently.”

“Why me? How did she…?”

“I told you, you shouldn’t have come. You are not her type. She likes to hunt them down, select them on her own. Torture them and break them herself. You were not a welcome guest. I just hope she keeps you alive.”

“What?” A strong noise came from the floor, like someone was knocking hard the wooden surface.

“I have to go,” the boy said and went for the door.

“Wait. No, please don’t leave me alone,” Luhan begged.

“I’m sorry. She’ll hurt me if I don’t obey. There is water and some food there for you. And use the big pot for your bathroom needs,” the boy said. “Now, step away from the door.”

“No. I can’t be here. I…”

“You don’t want her to come up. She sent me here because she doesn’t want to hurt you to the point of death. She is angry. She almost killed one of us down there because she had to bring you in. You must not make her madder than she already is.”

Luhan wanted to protest, but the look on the boy’s face made him scared. Because the boy was clearly frightened. Luhan stepped away from the door slowly and the guy opened the door and as soon as he had entered, he left. Luhan let panic set in. He didn’t have an excuse now to tell himself to calm down. He had entered a nightmare. And it was just starting.

######

Jaehyun got the angry text from Taeyong to go and meet him at his photoshoot site, but under any circumstances to come in. Apparently, Sehun wanted to treat them and he wanted both of them there. He actually had suggested to bring their other friends along, but neither Jaehyun nor Taeyong  wanted to bring anyone along.

Jaehyun was nervous to face Taeyong. After the group meeting, where Jaehyun had felt like a hero, adrenaline rushing through his whole body. He felt fearless and got more courage as he saw the glimpse of hope in Jungkook’s eyes. But now, after the dose of super hero magic had passed, he was kind of scared to meet Taeyong. The boy was furious when he left them in school and he kept looking at him angrily throughout the classes, but Jaehyun had been surrounded by his friends and Mark had stuck with him afterschool so he was never alone. But Taeyong was going to find him eventually. Jaehyun now only hoped that his connection with Sehun and the secret he had to keep were strong enough to keep him safe from his wrath.

Jaehyun arrived at the photoshoot site early and he waited outside as he was told to. The site was a big building that looked like a warehouse. People was equipment or take out where coming and going, some of them staring at Jaehyun, who didn’t have time to change his school uniform. Jaehyun tried to ignore them and concentrated on messing aimlessly with his phone.

“You know you’re not supposed to be here,” someone said to him, taking a seat right next to him. Jaehyun looked up to face a boy his age, with lots of makeup and pins on his light brown hair.

“I’m waiting for someone,” Jaehyun replied, studying the boy’s handsome face. He wasn’t security or something, more like a model, judging from his appearance and the too elegant outfit.

“The new guy?”

Jaehyun looked at him confused.

“Oh, I mean, what’s his name….um, Taeyang?”

“Taeyong?” Jaehyun asked.

“Yes, that one! He’s good. Are you friends?”

“We are, um, classmates,” Jaehyun admitted. He didn’t want to call Taeyong a friend.

“Okay. You’re seniors?”

“Yes. You?”

“I’ve finished last year,” the boy said. “I had to repeat classes here in Korea.”

“You’re not Korean?”

“I’m Japanese. My Korean is good, though, isn’t it? Cause you couldn’t tell!” the boy said happily and Jaehyun didn’t want to disappoint him by revealing that he couldn’t really tell the difference because he himself had spent time abroad.

“Here you are!” Sehun appeared in front of them. “Why didn’t you come in?”

“Didn’t want to disturb you,” Jaehyun lied quickly.

“I see you’ve met out Yuta,” Sehun said, smiling at the boy next to Jaehyun.

“Kind of,” Jaehyun admitted.

“Taeyong will be out soon. He is so sweet, you know. He even insisted on inviting you too for lunch. “

“You are going for lunch?” Yuta asked, but Jaehyun didn’t pay attention to the answer Sehun gave.  Why did Taeyong want him along? Was he planning something fishy or did he actually like him? That couldn’t be true. Taeyong was the bully of the school and the bad boy. He couldn’t possibly like someone like Jaehyun, the school’s golden boy. He was probably playing it nice so he could earn extra points from Sehun. That was the only obvious explanation Jaehyun could give. But, as Taeyong approached them, and smiling brightly at Jaehyun when he greeted him, Jaehyun couldn’t help but wish that Taeyong did like him.

######

Jungkook knew something was wrong. He had felt uneasy ever since he came back from the mall. That afternoon, Taehyung had suggested that they should take a break and go to buy Yoongi’s newest album at the mall, where he was having a signing event. Jungkook was a bit nervous about being with Taehyung in public, as he didn’t want anyone to them together and spread the rumors. He had heard what the boys where suggesting loud and clear when they were making fun of Taeyong. No one should start studying to get better grades if they wanted to be part of the team. Reading was for the nerds that they liked to bully. But he couldn’t say no to Taehyung, who looked so excited when he announced his decision to him.

Jungkook wore his hoodie all the way down and lied that he was getting down with a cold, so he wore his mask as well, hoping that Taehyung wouldn’t figure out that he was actually hiding himself. But the boy was so overexcited, that he didn’t really paid attention to him. He walked around the mall with a broad smile on his face, and Jungkook felt guilty, as he followed him around, trying to keep up with him. However, after getting in line to get their autograph, Jungkook started to loosen up and actually forgetting that he should be careful. And that was his biggest mistake. He let himself have fun with Taehyung and didn’t hide himself to well.

All of that was his fault, and he knew that, but still he couldn’t bring himself to do anything, as he walked down the stairs towards the basement of the school, his heart racing. He knew something was wrong, when Taehyung didn’t come into class after the break. As the class president, he should be there first and leave last. Jungkook had pretended that he had a serious stomach ache and asked to be dismissed to go to the nurse’s office. The teacher gave him a dirty look, obviously not believing him, but he gave him permission anyway. Jungkook tried to keep himself from running, as he searched the school premises for Taehyung. He knew all the spots his friends liked to take their victims. Jungkook didn’t like what they were doing, but he was afraid to say something as well, as he could easily swift from being their friend to being their next target. Only Taeyong could keep them in line, but they tended to do their “nasty business” when he wasn’t looking.

Jungkook could hear laugher and moaning at the same time. Someone was getting beaten, and Jungkook had the feeling that he knew who. He saw the backs of about three boys, standing on the stairs, looking down to where Taehyung was being held by two other boys, while one of them was throwing punched on Taehyung’s stomach. Jungkook’s eyes widen, as he watched in terror his friend hurting.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice almost trembling. The boys stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

“Well, look who’s here!” the one who was beating Taehyung said. “So, that’s why you couldn’t do what Taeyong asked you to do? You were playing with the nerd?” He glared at Jungkook angrily. Two of the boys next to him grabbed him from the arms and held him still. Jungkook tried to resist, but they were bigger than him and stronger.

“It’s not what you think!” Jungkook cried.

“Oh yeah? And what is it then?” he asked, spitting on Jungkook’s shirt. Jungkook had seen this movie lots of times. That’s when everything started. First the spitting, like they were marking their new victim. Then the constant teasing, the ambushing after school was over, the beating, the stealing. He knew it and he was too afraid that he would live it. He looked at Taehyung, who had a small river of blood streaming out of his mouth.

“He is threatened me that he is going to make the home teacher call my parents and have them come here if I didn’t go with him and buy him that stupid CD.”

“Aren’t your parents at the country side?” one of the boys asked.

“Yes. And they will have me back if they knew I was failing. I have to keep them away.”

“Why didn’t you tell us he was messing with you?” the big bully asked.

“You guys are free to do what you want. I have to be careful and not to have my parents come to school.”

“So, that freak was actually playing you?”

“You know how they are. They think they have the power over us, because they are the teacher’s pets.”

“Is that true?” the big bully turned to Taehyung, grabbing his jaw with his big hand like a claw. Jungkook’s heart raced. He was a coward who betrayed his friend, his only true friend. Taehyung looked pasted the bully over to Jungkook, but the later couldn’t stand to meet his eyes and he lowered his heard.

“It’s true,” Taehyung’s voice was echoed through the staircase loud, despite the beating he had received.

“I hate bullies like you. So I wanted to pay you back.”

“You pig. I’ll teach you to mess with one of us,” the big bully growled and the two other boys pushed Jungkook back on the stairs and they turned to watch, creating a wall between Jungkook and Taehyung. Jungkook crawled up the stairs, without turning back, as he didn’t want to let the boys see him crying. Taehyung’s cries accompanied him all the way to the teacher’s office, where Jungkook stomped in, looking for his home teacher.  He only found the new PE teacher, who was replacing their old one for a week, drinking his coffee over his desk, while probably playing some game on his computer. Jungkook dried his cheeks with his sleeve and walked to his desk.

“Excuse me,” he almost whispered and the PE teacher raised an eyebrow, without taking his eyes off the screen. “There is a fight on the staircase of the basement. I think someone is getting beaten.”

The PE teacher looked at Jungkook in doubt, but he got up anyway.

“Show me,” he demanded.

“I have to go to the nurse’s office. I was on my way when I’ve heard the voices.”

He must have looked horrible and awfully pale, because the PE teacher just nodded and disappeared into the hallway.

Jungkook went into the nurse’s office and laid on one of the beds. The nurse gave him some pain killers for his stomach and advised him to stay in. But Jungkook begged her to let him go home. He was feeling dizzy, he told her. But in reality he knew that the PE teacher will have Taehyung rushed in there in minutes. And he didn’t want to face him. He didn’t want to see him after what he had done to him, after he had sold him out. Cause, in the end, he wasn’t better than those bullies.

######

Luhan was scared. And Hongbin didn’t help calm him down. He was the only one who came up the ladder to feed him and bring him water, fortunately, but he was less talkative as the days passed, and Luhan grew more and more impatient. He hoped that someone would have come to look for him by now, his secretary or his father’s associates. But Luhan hadn’t heard any car coming or anyone knocking at the door. However, he did hear screams of pain during the night time, which made him hug the broken table leg that he had taken to use as a weapon, even tighter. Though, he part of him knew that it was useless. She had managed to keep three men in this horrible place for so long; she wasn’t going to be defeated that easily by Luhan. But at least the piece of wood gave him some form reassurance, even if it was fake.

“Hasn’t anyone tried to find you?” Luhan asked Hongbin one day, as he was placing his filled plate on the usual spot.

“No, at least as far as I’m aware of. She keeps us in the basement when someone visits.”

“But your family surely would have tried to track you down. Or a friend of yours.”

“I rather have them as far away from this place as possible.”

“The neighbors have never suspected anything?”

“We were moved here recently. Well, me. I don’t know where she kept Jongin.”

“Jongin?” Luhan asked. He knew the name from somewhere.

“Yes, another guy that was here longer than me. He was the one you saw in the garden.”

“Was he drugged or something? He seemed very calm,” Luhan admitted, bringing into his mind the image of the boy in the garden.

“He has given up. He doesn’t care anymore.”

“Have you?” Luhan asked. Hongbin gave him a long stare, then dropped his gaze and walked towards the door.

“Wait! You haven’t answered me!” Luhan called.

“I’ve told you before. Having hope is the cruelest torture that can force on yourself.”

“But, you seem to walk freely. Can’t you escape or something?”

“No!” Hongbin yelled, and it was the first time the guy had ever spoken so aggressively. He was all calm and composed during his past visits. Was this a sour subject for him? Had he given up as well?

“Hongbin, wait!” Luhan said, storming towards the door that was almost closed, grabbing the lead with his fingers. He felt the pressure, as Hongbin was pulling it close, but then the force was decreased and suddenly the door flew open, sending Luhan on the floor on his back. Luhan brought himself on his elbows, watching with his eyes wide open as a woman appeared from the hole on the floor. She was laughing, but not a happy laugh. More like a crazy, hysteric laugh. She looked at Luhan, her eyes almost black. She kneeled over him, before Luhan could calm himself and storm to the other side of the room to get his stick. She grabbed his chin, her fingernails stubbing his flesh.

“You are so annoying,” she spat at him. It was the nicest thing she told him for days.

######

“You can basically see the best part of Seoul from here,” Taeyong explained. “Not many people know this, that’s why there are no tourists.” Jaehyun could see why. They had been walking for hours, climbing up that almost vertical road, through a not so safe neighborhood. But, from the way Taeyong kept talking about every little corner of the place, each shop and graphite, Jaehyun got the impression that this must be Taeyong’s neighborhood. He imagined that the boy probably didn’t come from a well off family, but this was a big dose of reality for him. So, he didn’t say anything and tried to see that place through Taeyong’s eyes. The boy seemed to love and cherish that place, so there must be something good about it, something that Jaehyun would never had seen with his snobbish attitude.

“Maybe it’s for the best. If tourists start swamping here, then the big companies would force everyone to leave,” Jaehyun said, as he was shucking in the view.

“Exactly,” Taeyong admitted, sounding a little surprised with himself that he had to agree with Jaehyun. After lunch, Sehun had forced Taeyong to take Jaehyun with him for a walk or something. He said that the boy was a little stressed out these days and that he needed some change or a friend. Taeyong had refused, but not that eagerly, which made Jaehyun wonder how lonely Taeyong must have been feeling these past months. He had to keep his new life a secret from everyone, and so he had to be living a double life, the one of the outcast of the school and the up and coming model for the other part. So, Jaehyun agreed to join him, as he was probably the only person that knew all about Taeyong’s situation and was the only one to whom he could talk to.

“Thank you for coming with me,” Taeyong said. “I haven’t brought anyone here ever, well, except from Jungkook.”

“He seems like a good kid. Why don’t you tell him about your modeling career? He would understand.”

“We had an argument and every time we meet I mean to reconcile, but I just snap at him. I don’t know…he just brings out the worst of me these days.”

“He seems to be having some problems of his own. Surely, though, there must be someone else that you can talk to, well, someone better than me at least.”

“You’re not that bad,” Taeyong murmured. Jaehyun’s heart started beating fast. He knew he was in a dangerous situation when he agreed to hang out with him, but actually having him agree that he liked him, even just a little, that would bloom false hopes.

“Wow, is that an actual complement?” Jaehyun laughed, deciding to face the whole situation as a joke. “The great Taeyong, the leader of the school’s thugs just admitted that me, the new kid, am not that bad!”

“Don’t take it upon yourself. I just said that you, as an outsider, are better than having to tell anyone else about it.”

“They can’t be that bad.”

“You don’t know these kids. No, actually, you do know them. They are exactly what you think they are, bullies, outcasts, some of them the worst. But we teamed up because we were those who the teachers always blamed, even if we haven’t done anything, just because they think that because we are poor, we are criminals to be. And not just the teachers. Everyone in school and out of it think the same.”

“I never thought that you were all bad because of your financial situation. I started to resent you because you started bulling me.”

“I tried to stop that, but the boys need their freedom when it comes to that. If I don’t give them at least that, they will be on me and then everything would be out of control. But, at least, I try to keep their wrong doings to a minimum of damage.”

“So, you are saying that you are not the bad guy that the others are.”

“No, I’m the bad guy. But I know that bulling is different from making fun of someone.”

Jaehyun wanted to say that, after getting to know Taeyong, he didn’t believe that he was the bad guy that he claimed to be.  But, he kept his mouth shut. He was already in love with him, he didn’t want him to know that as well.

######

Taehyung didn’t call. In fact, he missed school all together. Jungkook was worried. He couldn’t sleep, or eat, or calm down, or study. His mind kept going to Taehyung, the way he looked at him when he betrayed him, when he agreed to his lie and got the blame for it. Jungkook’s consciousness was killing him slowly from inside. He knew he had to confess that he was the one who was trying to be friends with Taehyung, that he was the one that asked him to tutor him, that he was the one who started to like him. But, at the same time, he was afraid. If the guys knew what he was up to, they would outcast him, after beating him mercilessly.

Fortunately, the boys didn’t figure out that it was Jungkook who told on them. They actually acted like nothing had happened, even though they got expelled for a week. Jungkook later found out that the PE teacher had found Taehyung unconscious and they had rushed him to the hospital. Jungkook didn’t ask any of Taehyung’s friends about his health, though everyone in school talked about how he was treated for a week, because his wounds were too great and he had lost lots of blood.

Taeyong had returned to school, and he was more than mad with them for acting like criminals. Though, he couldn’t do anything more than yell at them. Everyone knew that Taeyong had lost some of his power over them, as he was either absent, or hanging out with the new guy, who seemed to be his best friend out of the blue.  

Jungkook hanged out with the guys as usual, and tried to act normal at school, but everything started to seem fake to him. He thought that he belonged somewhere being in the gang, but, after Taehyung’s incident, he started to feel that this was not him. He didn’t share the same views and beliefs with the boys, and in the beginning, that was fine, but now he felt guilty of what they have done. He wasn’t a criminal, like Taeyong had pointed out, he didn’t enjoy torturing the geeks or everyone that he didn’t like. He didn’t agree with them about not carrying about his future, about not wanting to study to increase his grades. He didn’t like when they talked about their parents like they were their worst enemies. Jungkook loved his parents. He wanted to study to increase his grades to make them happy. He wanted to have a future. And he wanted to be friends with Taehyung, even though he was the class’s president.

Jungkook made up his mind. He couldn’t take it anymore, and he didn’t care anymore. He skipped math without telling anyone where he was going and took the bus straight to the hospital where Taehyung was admitted. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to get straight from his friend and be able to confess to the gang and leave them. He wanted to set things right.

He was terrified when he arrived. He couldn’t even utter Taehyung’s name at the front desk to ask where was his room. Fortunately, the nurse quickly understood.

“You’re here to see that student, aren’t you? He’s such an angel!” she explained and showed Jungkook Taehyung’s room, while telling him how many students had come to see the patient. She left him in front of the door. Jungkook stood there, not having the courage to enter. He started regretting coming. But that attitude led to this in the first place. Jungkook didn’t know how much he stood there, not deciding to go in, but the same nurse came and touched him by the shoulder.

“Aren’t you getting in?”

“I…he might be sleeping,” Jungkook lied.

“I can go and check, if you want. Who should I tell him came to visit?”

“Jungkook,” he said, feeling his heart heavy, but some short of excitement got over him at the same time. He wanted to see Taehyung. He had missed him and he really wanted to make sure that he was okay. The time the nurse was in the room seemed like ages. He was pacing up and down the corridor, feeling more and more hyped. Finally the door opened. Jungkook saw the interior of the room for a second, before the nurse closed the door behind her again. Jungkook looked at her confused. He had managed to get a glimpse of Taehyung’s golden brown hair. The boy was probably looking outside the window. Jungkook wished that he wasn’t; that he was looking at his direction, so he could at least get a look of his face, of his eyes.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. Taehyung told me to tell you that he is fine, but he wants to rest. He said that you don’t have to come again.”

“Oh,” Jungkook said, trying to control his facial expression to neutral.

“Did something happen between you two?”

“Short of. I just really wanted to see him.”

“Well, maybe when he’s feeling better…”

Jungkook thanked the nurse and walked away. He wanted to cry, to scream, to run out of the hospital, to smash something. He felt all short of things, but the feeling that overpowered everything was despair.

######

Luhan didn’t feel like a human anymore. She was cruel and she was angry with him.

“The best way to cope is to forget of what have happened and focus on the past, before all this,” Hongbin said. She had finally moved him to the main room along with the others. Luhan met Taeil, the ex new guy and Jongin, the veteran. Taeil had some short of melancholy in his eyes, and Luhan could only imagine what he had been through so far to make him so miserable. As for Jongin, he was like a patient in coma. He didn’t respond to anything, and he only talked when he had to make them to be quiet, or to tell them not to hope.

“It’s not that easy, you know,” Luhan snapped. He wasn’t really angry at Hongbin, though the boy did hide something and Luhan felt all frustrated that he was able to walk around freely, when the three of them had to share a room, which wasn’t that bad, compared to the wet, full of rats, basement that Luhan had spent his days after the attic. At that time, he didn’t know if the rats will eat him alive in his sleep, as they crawled up his legs, drown by the blood and his open wounds, or she will one day overdo it with her violence and knock him to his death.

“Tell us about you,” Taeil encouraged. He didn’t talk much, but he seemed to like Luhan.

“Well, I am a CEO of a large Chinese antique company.”

“That must be nice.”

“Not really. It’s not like it’s my dream. I love antiques, but I would rather open my own local antique shop, rather than spend my days in an office, signing papers.”

“Do you have any friends?”

“Here in Korea, no,” Luhan said, but then thought about Sehun. Was he his friend? Luhan felt that it didn’t matter anymore.

“I had a friend, Sehun. He…um…we weren’t that close.”

“How did you meet?” Hongbin asked.

“Long story. He broke a very important vase and he had to pay me back for it.”

“That’s how you became friends?”

“No. Actually, I hated him at first. But then, I met him at the hospital, where he visited his friend and I gave him some advice about it and that’s how we started spending time together.”

“That’s nice,” Taeil piped in.

“Yes. He’s friend actually got better, I think. He was blind due to a horrible accident.”

“Poor thing.”

“Yeah. But that’s not only it. He was attacked by someone who had kidnapped his boyfriend. “

“Oh my God, did they want to get him as well?”

“I don’t know. I only know that his boyfriend saved him. He managed to help him escape, even though he was left behind. Now, Kyungsoo is obsessed on finding him…”

“What did he say?” Jongin cried from his corner, his eyes wide open, glaring at them. He was silent for all the while they were talking, staring at the wall opposite to him. At first, Luhan felt a little intimidated by him, but as soon as he started talking about his past, he found himself liberated and forgot for a while where he was and what had happened to him. However, Jongin’s outburst had brought him back to reality.

“We are talking about Luhan’s friends,” Hongbin replied to him, obviously a little surprise from the boy’s sudden awakening.

“He’s not technically my friend,” Luhan tried to escape Jongin’s attention. He felt odd having him staring at him, as the boy had moved closer to them to be able to listen better to Luhan’s story. “In fact, I have never met him, officially anyway.”

“But you know about him,” Jongin insisted. “Where is he now?”

Luhan looked confused over to the two other boys. Hongbin looked confused as well, but nodded to Luhan to continue. “Well, he lives with his friends now. I mean, he was there when I last checked.”

“And he is blind.”

“Yes. Among others.”

“What do you mean?”

“Um… he tried to kill himself once. But who can blame him. He had been through a lot. But now, he focuses on finding that boyfriend he lost. Apparently, he met this other guy who had lost his boyfriend as well to the same suspect and he had escaped or something, so they both are looking for them together. Sehun, though, was not happy about that. He wanted him to let go and…” Luhan stopped. Somehow, talking about them had been easy and refreshing. He felt like someone had pushed a button and a torrent of information came out of him uncontrollably. “I probably said too much,” he added, looking over to Taeil, who simply raised his shoulders in indifference. But the other two were not that uninterested.

“Sehun, I know the name,” Jongin said, more to himself.

“You said that the guy is meeting another guy that had escaped?” Hongbin asked.

“Yes. I can’t remember the name though. It’s a miracle I remembered Kyungsoo’s name in the first place. It seems like forever since I talked to Sehun about them.” Though Sehun’s name could never have escaped his mind. Luhan felt that the model was part of himself now. They had not been together for long. In fact, they were only business partners. But it was the first time that Luhan had felt something so strong about someone. And it took him so long to realize it. Luhan regretted everything that he did that morning before he was kidnapped, but most of all, he regretted avoiding Sehun. He should have stayed back and faced him. He should have told him how he felt. If the guy didn’t want to have anything to do with it, then fine. The worst that could have happened was never to see Sehun again in person. But there was a small chance that Sehun would have been okay with it. What if he felt the same way? There was no way to find that out now. Luhan was probably going to die in that house without having the chance to answer his what if. And that was what kept him going, kept him alive, made him endure her violence.

“Why are you guys acting like this? Does that have anything to do with her?” Luhan asked, and suddenly something clicked. “Oh my God!” he yelled, jumped up and started pacing up and down the room, almost hopping in excitement.  Because now remembered. How had he been so stupid? The whole confusion and constant feeling of fear had numbed his memory and he had forgotten. But now, there was no doubt. He was sure. “You are the guys! You are the ones Kyungsoo and that guy are looking for! You are alive!”

######

Apparently, Taeyong had a fall out with his gang friends, because he was all moody and grumpy all day, lashing out on Jaehyun and then apologizing about it. Jaehyun knew what had happened, all the school did. But he also knew that Taeyong had nothing to do with it and that in fact, that was the reason why he argued with his friends. Jaehyun had grew to realize that Taeyong was not the bully he thought he was. He was different, clever and pure hearted. He just felt that there was something separating him from Jaehyun, which was the reason why Jaehyun couldn’t seem to approach him. However, now they had gotten closer somehow. Taeyong waited for him to finish basketball practice, or he appeared out of nowhere when Jaehyun got out of the coffee shop where he and his friends hang out. If he had a photoshoot, he would call him late at night to talk. And Jaehyun found himself visiting Taeyong’s agency when he had a meeting, or going to the events where Taeyong was working.

After that, Jaehyun started to feel more confident about his relationship with Taeyong. And he decided to make his move. He got up that morning early, feeling excited and scared at the same time. He didn’t get bothered by Kyungsoo’s snarky comments or Junmyeon’s complains about Sehun. He had to focus on his big day. He had arranged it so that he would definitely meet Taeyong that day, as he didn’t have to work and he could attend school normally. He would wait for him after school, to walk home together, and then he would confess to him. He felt that the timing was perfect and that if he didn’t do it today, he would never do it.

Jaehyun met Mark in the front yard as always and tried to act normal. Mark didn’t know anything, as explaining to him about his relationship with Taeyong would involve having to talk to him about Sehun as well, and then Jaehyun would have been as good as dead. However, Mark didn’t even seem to notice him. He kept smiling to himself, buffing his cheeks with air, like he always did when he wanted to say something but he stopped himself.

“What did you do?” Jaehyun asked him, not able to take it anymore.

“Okay, I’ll tell you, but you are not going to freak out, okay?” Mark said excitedly. He sure was ready to burst, as he didn’t need too much pressure to reveal his secret. He took Jaehyun but the hand and shoved him in the bathroom. He checked every stall to be empty, before turning happily towards Jaehyun, taking something from his bag and presenting it to him accompanying his revelation with a tad a! Jaehyun looked at it with terror. It was a tshirt with a collage of Sehun’s photos all over and a headline with huge pink letters stating that the wearer was Sehun’s number one fan.

“What the hell, Mark? You promised!”

“I know. But I can’t control myself. Today, Sehun is having a fan meeting and I managed to get tickets!” Mark almost screamed.

“Okay. I get that. But why do you have to bring that here?”

“I can’t go back home and change. The meeting is just after school and I have to catch the first bus going down town to make it.”

“At least hide it in your bag, before anyone sees it…” Jaehyun said, but just then a student walked in and Jaehyun panicked. He didn’t have time to give the t shirt back to Mark, as he was holding it, so he quickly shoved it into his bag and they walked outside, in the crowded hallway.

“I can take this thing off now,” Jaehyun complained. “Let’s wait for when we are alone, and then I’ll put it in your bag or something.”

“Just don’t forget, okay?” Mark said, as they entered the classroom.

Jaehyun spotted Taeyong seating already at his desk next to his, looking outside the window. Some students who passed by him gave him some dirty looks and then moved over to Jungkook’s empty desk. Jaehyun could see that there were writing on Taeyong’s desk that didn’t  belong to the boy, even though Taeyong hadn’t been bothered to erase them. Jaehyun smiled. He knew what everyone was saying about Taeyong and his friends after the incident with the class’s president. Of course, the real culprits were expelled, but that didn’t stop everyone for targeting everyone else as well. Jaehyun would have joined them in the past, but now he knew that Taeyong had nothing to do with it. But he couldn’t do anything about it either. That made Jaehyun sad for a moment, realizing how scared he was to be targeted as well, even if that meant helping his friend.

Taeyong turned and looked at him for a second, and then quickly looked away. He knew that he was not helping Jaehyun by associating with him. Jaehyun felt all his courage draining off. He had to do something. He could hear the students, gathered in small groups, badmouthing Taeyong and Jungkook. Jaehyun felt the feeling of injustice overwhelming him and he got up. He didn’t care about his status or what would happen to him anymore. Jaehyun spotted Mark’s eyes on him, being all confused, but also worried. Mark knew what Jaehyun was about to do. But Jaehyun never managed to do it. The class’s home teacher entered the class just when Jaehyun was about to say something.

Jaehyun sat back on his seat and couldn’t concentrate in class for the rest of the day. Had Taeyong seen his petty attempt to be a hero? He hoped not. That would have lowered him in his eyes and made it more difficult for Jaehyun to confess to him. He should probably concentrate on that.

Taeyong disappeared during lunch time, and Jaehyun started to feel nervous, constantly looking over his shoulder at the cafeteria to see if the boy entered or not. He hoped that Taeyong didn’t leave school because of everyone’s behavior. Jaehyun needed to confess to him. He knew he was being arrogant, but he didn’t want to think like that right then. He had decided to be a little arrogant, just for today.

Finally, school was over and Jaehyun stormed out, towards the gate, to wait for Taeyong. Mark tried to stop him on the way out, but Jaehyun said that he was going to call him later and that he really had to go. He had seen Taeyong grabbing his bag as soon as the teacher said that it was almost time to go, and he disappeared before Jaehyun had time to pack his stuff.

Jaehyun saw Taeyong’s back down the street when he reached the gate. He heard Mark still calling him, but he ran before Taeyong. It had to be today, he kept telling himself. He managed to get to him a block away from school. He would have lost him, if he didn’t know the exact route Taeyong liked to take to go home, the one that was less crowded. When he wasn’t with the other boys, he liked to maintain a low profile.

“Taeyong, wait!” Jaehyun called and the boy finally stopped. Jaehyun was out of breath when he reached him.

“It was a long day, Jae. I’d like to go home and get some sleep,” Taeyong said, and he indeed looked a bit tired.

“Just let me tag along,” Jaehyun said.

“I was planning on being alone,” Taeyong replied.

“Um, is something wrong?”

“Seriously? The whole school is against me and you are asking me that?”

“I know that,” Jaehyun said, taken aback from the sudden burst of hostility from the boy. Had he pushed him too far?

“Don’t worry. I don’t expect you to understand.”

“Why not?” Jaehyun replied, a little offended. He knew all about being bullied. He was the one receiving it. How could Taeyong say that?

“Come on. You are the school’s golden boy, the popular basketball player. You seriously want to tell me that you get being an outsider. If you haven’t been forced to hang out with us, you would have never even spared us a second glance.”

“That is not true! Your gang had been bullying me ever since school started. And who said that I didn’t like hanging out with you?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know you. You have never been one of us.”

“So, I had to be one of you so you could know me?”

“In a way.”

“So I had to become a bully so you could like me?”

“See? You never understood us really. You always looked down on us!”

“Looked down on you? When did I do that? You’re the one who always blames everyone that they treat you differently, when you are the one always judging everyone just from their looks.”

Taeyong started laughing, clearly angry. “So, it’s my fault then?” he snapped and gave Jaehyun a strong push that forced him to misstep backwards. Jaehyun looked back at the boy in surprise.

“This is so classic you! When someone says something that you don’t like, you bully them away!” Jaehyun insisted, feeling anger growing in him.

“And of course, the golden boy is right in everything! Let me show you then what bullying is!”

Jaehyun didn’t know where he had gone wrong. He intended to confess to Taeyong. And yet, here he was, fist fighting with him. People probably stopped and looked at them, but quickly walked away. Two school boys fighting weren’t that unusual sight to see.

Jaehyun finally pushed Taeyong away and called enough. The two boys stood there breathing heavily. Jaehyun was all sweaty, but so was Taeyong.

“Did you have enough of it?” Jaehyun called. He was sad and disappointed. He really believed that he had a shot with Taeyong, but clearly the boy didn’t like him. “Are you satisfied now, after beating the evil popular basketball player who didn’t like hanging out with you?”

“I knew you were full of shit and I’m not wrong,” Taeyong said, having his eyes pinned on something on the ground next to Jaehyun. Jaehyun looked down confused. His eyes spotted the tshirt that Mark had brought to school. That’s why the boy was so insistent after school. The t shirt must have fallen out of Jaehyun’s bag as they were fighting.

Jaehyun kneeled down and quickly recovered it and stashed it into his bag.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Oh, really? Sehun’s biggest fan? Something tells me that you used me to get closer to your idol.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Is it? You started hanging out with me when you realized that I’m working with Sehun. Before that, you were constantly complaining that I forced you to join our group.”

“But, this is not my t shirt!”

“Everything actually makes sense now!” Taeyong said, ignoring Jaehyun’s excuses. “I was wondering why you wanted to spent time with me. You, the popular kid wanted to waste his time with the leader of the outsiders. But I thought that maybe you were different. You seemed to understand. But clearly I was wrong. You are just like everyone else. But don’t worry. You’re out of the group. We won’t bother you anymore. So, don’t ever show up in front of me again.”

Taeyong grabbed his bag that was on the ground and left. Jaehyun just stood there, staring at his back. Somehow, he felt that all this was his fault. But, right then, he felt so helpless and powerless, that he let the boy go, believing that he had used him to get closer to Sehun.

######

Jungkook didn’t know what day it was. He didn’t really remember when was the last time he showed up to school. He must have gone once or twice that week, but he barely paid attention to what was happening around him. He forgot to go to his part time job, so his boss fired him. Not that he cared. He let Seokjin call his parents and tell them everything, after pleading and begging him to behave. Jungkook didn’t care either. He knew he was a lost cause already. He had missed his chance on becoming someone. But there was nothing he could do now. Who was he trying to fool really? He was bad to the bone. He couldn’t change that. His parents believed in him, and he betrayed them. Taehyung believed in him and he betrayed him as well. Now, he didn’t want to talk to him and he was right. Jungkook knew that his parents would do the same. And he couldn’t blame them. They had enough already.

Jungkook was considering dropping off and finding a job. Hoseok and Seokjin were against it, of course. He could not have a college degree, but he must graduate school. None was going to hire him in the long ran and for a job that paid off. Jungkook knew that. But he needed to survive as well. Plus, he didn’t want to go to school. Everything, the books, the classroom, the hallway, everything reminded him of Taehyung and that horrible day. He couldn’t return. He knew that. He had tried. So, he made up his mind. He made a least on what he should do.

First, he visited that Jaehyun guy. He found him at the gym lockers. He didn’t want to talk to him at first, but Jungkook knew that he was a decent guy.

“Just, stay away from them. We are all rotten,” he told him and left. Jaehyun stared at him, but said nothing.

Next, he went to Taeyong. He was preparing to leave again, and Jungkook found him by the door as he was about to exist school. He called him over and apologized for his behavior. Taeyong only kept glancing at his watch. Some student went by, yelling all sorts of courses at them, demanding them to leave school for good. Jungkook ignored them.

“Please, Taeyong. I really need to talk to you.”

“I can’t do anything for that. I’m sorry, but it’s kind of late. You had been clear back then that you don’t want me to mess with your business and I respected that. Why are you being such a baby now?” Taeyong snapped and left, slamming the door behind him. Jungkook felt the back of his neck sour. But he repeated his list in his head to calm himself down. That gave him some purpose.

He found the boys by the vending machine, trying to shake it open. They weren’t all of them, so Jungkook told them to gather everyone and meet him that afternoon. The boys looked confused, but agreed. Finally, he went to his homeroom teacher. He thanked her for believing in him, and apologized for letting her down.

“Jungkook, are you okay?” she looked concerned.

“I’m fine, miss,” Jungkook said trying to smile. But smiling reminded him of how boyishly and naively Taehyung smiled when he was happy. Still, he tried to keep the smile on his face, even though it hurt.

“If you want to talk to me about something…”

“I know. Thank you. But, really, there is nothing to say.”

Jungkook left school that day and just wondered around Seoul. He finally made his way home, where he set on the table by Seokjin and ate everything that the boy had placed in front of him.

“Kookie are you okay?” Seokjin asked, all worried.

“I’m fine, why?”

“Nothing.”

Jungkook thanked Seokjin and rushed to the meeting point. By the time he arrived, he could see that everyone had come, except from Taeyong of course. Jungkook took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could do this, he told himself and approached the group. Jungkook told them everything that had happened. Even the fact that he was the one who told the PE teacher on them. Sure enough they weren’t happy. They beat him, but not too hard. He was bleeding and he felt dizzy, but he left him conscious, which was a relief. Jungkook got himself up from the dirty floor of the alley and walked back home, using the walls to support himself.

It didn’t hurt. He was dizzy anyway, so everything around him was blurry. He only saw a harsh light coming towards him and then he felt his body flying in the air. But he was only thinking about his family, his home friends and Taehyung. He wished he had turned that day at the hospital. Because, when he tried to remember his face, he only could see in his mind Taehyung’s face, changed by pain and fear, when he was getting beaten up. That was the last time he had seen his face. Because the boy hadn’t turned around that day at the hospital. He kept looking out of the window, towards the light, a soft, warm light and now Jungkook only wished to reach.

######

Hongbin locked the door behind him. She looked at him and then at the door, that was dancing from the force with which Jongin was crushing on it, screaming like a wild dog.

“He will be fine,” Hongbin said. “Soon, he’ll be just like his old self.”

“Hope not,” she snapped. “I prefer him more energetic.”

“I was thinking,” Hongbin said, as she started walking down the corridor, where he wasn’t allowed to go. She turned and looked at him, her eyes warning him.

“About the tea party outside. We haven’t cleaned up yet and the neighbors may get suspicious.”

She stared at him for a long time, till Hongbin had to give a fight to keep his face neutral.

“Go and get them. Then come straight back in, got it? Or else, Jongin will get lonely.” She tossed a set of keys on the floor and left. Hongbin gathered them and walked straight to the back door, that was located in the kitchen. He knew the path, as she let him set the table sometimes. But she had never allowed him to go outside alone. This was progress, or a test. She trusted him now, but did she trust him enough?

Hongbin felt the cold air hurting his face, but he breathed in the fresh air nevertheless. He felt, for a split of a second, free. And then the terrible temptation of attempting to leave hit him. But he had to resist. He had only one chance and he must do it right. Else, she will never trust him again and the chance of leaving would be gone forever. But he had a plan that would lead eventually to him being free and her being locked up somewhere. Because, if he was free, but she was still somewhere out there, he would never be truly free.

Hongbin started gathering the broken china and the sticky, rotten cupcakes that she had left them out there for days to be scattered around by the wind. He fixed the table and the chairs to their normal places, keeping an eye on his surroundings, especially the mansion, where she could be hiding behind a window watching him. And then, he heard Luhan screaming. She had gotten him in the bathroom and who knew what she was doing to him. But that gave Hongbin the opportunity he needed. He had spotted a small hole in the thorny fence, enough for him to crawl outside. He now pushed his way out, but he managed to bring only half his body out, as the thorns were tearing his flesh and pinning his clothes inside. But he didn’t need more than that. He remembered helping her carry Luhan in. At the time, he had spotted Luhan’s phone on the ground, shinning in the dull sun and he had pushed him in the bushes with his foot, so she wouldn’t see it and get it. The thought of that phone turtored him for days, but he didn’t have the chance to go outside. But today, he gathered the courage to ask. And she had agreed.

Hongbin looked for the phone for what seemed like a century to him. His heart was beating like crazy, as he knew that in any moment she could be outside, catching him red handed. Plus, the pain from the thorns was getting unbearable and the blood was running down his face, falling in his eyes and making it hard to see. But Hongbin didn’t give up until he finally got the device. It was in the bushes, like he had left it, but the grass had grown around it and it was difficult to spot. It was even more difficult to grab it, as it was near, but just out of reach. Hongbin forced his body to twist and turn a little to the left but his fingertips only graced the slick surface. Hongbin felt like the phone was his freedom, always there but just a breath out of reach. So, he had to grab it. He had to escape. He had to see Hyuk again.

The way back into the garden was painful as much as the way out. He was all scratches and wounds oozing with blood. He cleaned up as well as he could and fixed his hair. His clothes were reaped as well, but he hoped that she wouldn’t notice. He looked at the mansion again, holding his breath to hear Luhan’s cries. He got something even better. Her laughing. So, she was still with him.

Hongbin crawled under the table and got the phone out of his pocket. He didn’t have time to do much. He first tried to turn it on. He knew that there was a good chance that the rain and the weather conditions were enough to break it, but, fortunately, it was still alive. Though, the battery bar was almost red. Hongbing didn’t have time. He quickly pressed the call icon, but the phone was acting crazy, as its screen had a nasty scare just in the middle. Hongbin tried to dial 100 but the phone jumped into the message folder. Hongbin’s hands were shaking. He had to do it! He had to make that call!

Most of the messages were to someone called Mr. Oh. Hongbin pressed on the name as hard as he could. And the phone finally obeyed and called. Hongbin hoped beyond hope that Mr. Oh was close to Luhan and not a business partner or something. He needed someone to rescue them.

The other line beeped and beeped and beeped, but the guy didn’t pick up. Hongbin felt his eyes watery. This was his only chance. The phone didn’t have enough energy for a second attempt. Time was going by, precious time wasted. He should have called that other name, the secretary. She would have picked up a call from her boss. Maybe he should hang up and try the girl. Maybe he had enough time to…

“Finally, you called!” someone called from the other line. Hongbin almost jumped up.

“Hello? Hello! Can you hear me?”

“Yes. Who’s this? You’re not Luhan.”

“Listen to me. This is important. Luhan is in danger. I don’t have time, so please don’t interrupt me. Luhan has been kidnapped. He’s at the mansion that he came often this past months. There are three of us here as well. Please sent help…”

“Luhan has been kidnapped. Is this a joke? Are you pranking me? Where have you found his phone?”

“Please, listen to me. I’m Hongbin. I have been kidnapped as well as Jongin and Taeil. Please, sent help.”

“Jongin? What? Are you…”

“Please, I don’t have time. She might come,” Hongbin cried. He had to believe him. He had to help him.

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know. In a mansion. Hasn’t Luhan talked about his visits here?”

“I’m on my way…”

“No! Don’t come alone. She’ll kill you and have us move and…”

Hongbin didn’t finish his phrase. She grabbed him by the hair and forced him out of his hiding place. Hongbin cried in pain. She hit him harder, stepping with force on the hand that was holding the cell phone, breaking it. Then she stepped on the phone, smashing it into a million pieces.

“What have you done!” she screamed and kicked Hongbin in the stomach. Hongbin coughed blood. He knew that that was his chance. He just hoped that Mr. Oh wasn’t going to waste it.

######

Jaehyun wasn’t going to do what Jungkook had asked him at first. He had problems of his own. After his fight with Taeyong, he had to face a furious Mark. The boy had been forced to go to the fan meeting in his school uniform and he didn’t have the chance to meet Sehun face to face.

But, that morning, Jaehyun went to school, being all moody and depressed. He hadn’t been able to sleep that night at all. And he was in no mood to face Mark or to attend his classes. Plus, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to see Taeyong. He had said some very nasty stuff about him the last time they’ve met. But, there was also that misunderstanding that Jaehyun wanted to clear up with him. And he really wanted it. He felt that somehow, things would get better if Taeyong knew how he truly felt. However, Jaehyun knew that the boy would not be easy to approach.

Not that Jaehyun had a chance to see him. As soon as he reached the classroom, he saw the students, being in groups, whispering to one another. Jaehyun walked past them in surprise. Some girls from his class were crying. Others, younger students, were coming and peeping in from the door, then whispering in sad voices and gloomy faces.

“What’s going on?” Jaehyun asked Mark, not sure if the boy was going to respond to him. They had fought in the past, and Mark usually applied the silent method on him for days, even though Jaehyun talked to him normally and tried to make him talk back at him as well.

“You didn’t the posts? They are all over the internet,” Mark said, his eyes wet with tears.

“Mark, what’s wrong?” Jaehyun asked, taking a seat next to him.

“That guy, Jungkook,” Mark said and pointed at the desk at the front row where Jungkook set. Now, it was covered with roses.

Jaehyun felt his heart drop. It was only yesterday when the boy approached him, and now…

“What happened?” Jaehyun managed to ask.

“He was hit by a car last night. He’s in a coma now, but the chances of making it are…”

Mark chocked but Jaehyun didn’t want to hear more anyway. He started to understand slowly what had happened. Jungkook didn’t look his usual self when he talked to him.  He was calm, sad and a bit afraid. He was anything but that confident boy who wanted to go against the society and the system. What had happened to him?

That question kept popping up and he was not able to concentrate in class. Not that anyone could. But the teachers’ council had decided on continuing the classes as usual. Jaehyun felt so sad and confused about Jungkook that he didn’t even notice that Taehyung wasn’t there.

Had Jungkook planned to be in an accident? The past week had been hard for him and his friends, but was that enough to make him try to kill himself? Or, was he reaching out for help when he talked to Jaehyun? He hadn’t been very polite or friendly towards him when the boy approached him. He was still mad at Taeyong and he didn’t want to talk to anyone. Had he been nicer to him, things might have been different. At least, he could do what Jungkook had asked him to. It was the least he could do after what he had done, or rather, not done for him.

Jaehyun knew what was the hospital where Taehyung was admitted. Most of his friends had been there to visit the class’s president, though he never made it. He didn’t really know the kid and he would have made him awkward, as Jaehyun was the one hanging out with those who had sent him to the hospital in the first place. But, now he had no excuse. That day, Jungkook had found him in school and asked him to visit Taehyung. Apparently, he himself couldn’t. Jaehyun didn’t know why the boy wanted to talk to the class’s president. They didn’t really seem close. At the time, Jaehyun thought that Jungkook wanted to threaten him or something. Maybe he was one of the bullies that had hurt him. But, Jungkook didn’t seem like that kind of a guy. In addition, at the end, he warned Jaehyun to cut off from the gang. Would he had done so if he was one of them and acted like them?

Now Jaehyun was sure that Jungkook didn’t want to bully the kid any further. He had only given Jaehyun a letter and had asked him to read it to Taehyung. Jaehyun hadn’t opened it. He had tossed it into his locker and wanted to forget about it. Fortunately, that also met that he could find it easy.

Jaehyun found Taehyung’s room quickly. It was late, but he still had some time before visiting hours were over. He knocked at the door and a middle aged lady opened. Probably Taehyung’s mother.

“Hello, um… I’m Taehyung’s classmate,” Jaehyun said, looking past her towards the bed where Taehyung was sitting. Taehyung looked at him and smiled, recognizing him. The woman looked back at the boy, and then let Jaehyun in.

“Thank you for carrying for him,” she said. She was probably his mother. “I’ll leave you two alone,” she added and closed the door behind her. Jaehyun walked in, feeling awkward. He didn’t know what to say. To simply state that he was here because of Jungkook might be his ticket for an early departure. So, he approached the bed and set on the chair next to it.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, deciding to steak with the basics for a start.

“I’m better. Thanks for asking,” Taehyung said.

“I should have visited earlier, but…”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry. I had too many visitors anyway. I didn’t think I was that popular.”

The boy smile and up close, Jaehyun could see that his smile was forced. He had still bruises on his face and stitches near his mouth. It must have been painful to smile, but Taehyung did it anyway.

“Though, none came today, so I’m glad you did.”

“Um… it has been a difficult day for the class.”

“What do you mean?” Taehyung asked, his eyes wide. So he didn’t know.

“Can I read something for you first? Then, I’ll explain everything,” Jaehyun said, taking the letter out of his jacket. Taehyung looked at him confused, but nodded for him to go ahead. Jaehyun opened the enveloped. Jungkook’s handwriting popped up from the white page, that had a coffee stain on the corner and lots of erased phrases. It must have been hard for Jungkook to write it. Jaehyun tried not to think about the boy’s situation and keep his voice steady. He needed to complete his mission. That was Jungkook’s wish, maybe his last one as well.

“ _Tae, I know that saying sorry won’t be enough. Still, I will say it. I’m sorry. I’m a thousand times sorry. I know that I’m a coward. You have been my only true friend, the only one who understood me. And yet, I wasn’t able to defend you. I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry that I became friends with you in the first place. I’m so deep in the dark side that I ruin everything and everyone around me. I should have known better. And yet, I let you come close. What happened to you is entirely my fault. And I will make it right. I won’t be a coward again. I will be responsible. I should at least do that for you. I can’t ask you to forgive me. I’m too damaged to be forgiven by you. I only ask you to quickly recover and forget everything. Forget what happened, forget them, forget me._ ”

When Jaehyun finished, he realized that his cheeks were all wet. He quickly tried to dry them off, but Taehyung wasn’t looking at him. He was staring at the wall opposite to him.

“It’s from Jungkook, wasn’t it?” he finally said.

“Yes.”

“Why did he send you to read it and he didn’t come here himself?”

“He…he…um…”

“What is it?”

“Jungkook has been in an accident.”

“An accident?” Taehyung turned and looked at him, his face giving away his fear. Were those two that close?

“Last night. He was hit by a car. He has been in a coma, but…” Jaehyun couldn’t finish. He didn’t know Jungkook felt that way, guilty and miserable.

“Jungkook is in a coma,” Taehyung said, more to himself. Just then, his mother walked in. She looked first at Taehyung, then at Jaehyun. Jaehyun got up.

“I should go,” he said. “I’ll leave this to you,” he whispered to Taehyung and slipped the letter under his pillow.

Taehyung didn’t respond, but his mother gave Jaehyun a nasty stare at Jaehyun, who retreated quickly. He felt in sock when he walked like a zombie down the hall. He kept thinking of what he had done. His suspicions had been confirmed. Jungkook was planning to end his life. He had been managing his last business when he met Jaehyun. If Jaehyun had paid attention, he would have noticed that something was wrong and had prevented what had happened.

“It’s not your fault,” someone said and Jaehyun snapped out of it, like he was daydreaming, as he was drowning into self sorrow and despair. He turned around and saw Taeyong, leaning on the white wall, almost blending in. Jaehyun needed a minute to understand what was happening. Taeyong was in the hospital, actually talking to him. His eyes were dark, darker than usual, and he looked ill.

“It’s not your fault,” he repeated, his voice husky.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re blaming yourself for what happened,” Taehyung replied.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jaehyun lied, though he knew that Taeyong could read through him.

“It wasn’t your fault. He chose to do what he did.”

“He…I could have helped him. He came to me and I didn’t…”

“He came to me too. I am his friend and I told him off. He was asking me for help, and I treated him like trash and didn’t help him. I could have saved him and I didn’t. So, if someone is to be blamed, that’s me.”

Jaehyun stared at Taeyong. He wanted to hug him, but Taeyong looked destroyed already.

“He’s here, isn’t he?”

“They keep him at the top wing of the hospital. His parents have come from the countryside. They are talking about unplugging…” Taeyong couldn’t finish his thought. He started crying, falling down on the floor. Jaehyun ran and took him in his arms and they cried together, in the hospital where Jungkook was slowly fading away.

######

Sehun knew that something was wrong, but he told himself that there was nothing to worry about. Luhan was the kind of person to get busy for weeks. Plus, they were just business partners. Luhan could have left Korea and never contact him again. But, still, he felt that something was wrong. Ever since that gala, he had been avoiding him. He hasn’t been returning his calls, he has been canceling their meetings and he had been completely out of touch for a month.

Sehun didn’t say anything to anyone, but apparently it was obvious that something was bothering him. Junmyeon tried to make him sit down and talk about it, but Sehun pretended to be busy and avoided him. But then, Kyungsoo asked him what was wrong.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you sound weird. You have been sounding weird for a week now.”

“I have been busy,” Sehun lied.

“You have not. You’re just lazy.”

“I’m not. You’re the one who sits all day and does nothing.”

“That’s because I’m a handicap, you moron!”

“That’s a stupid excuse. Handicaps are capable of doing as much as everyone else. You’re just lazy.”

“You’re hiding something. What is it?”

“I am not!”

“You’re avoiding me, so you do.”

“Just leave me alone, Kyungsoo!” Sehun cried, feeling that the conversation was getting more and more uncomfortable.

Just then the phone rang and Sehun felt that he was liberated by Kyungsoo’s third rate. But, as soon as he took a look on the number, he felt a cold feeling coming down his spine. He was terrified as he picked it up. He hadn’t talked to Luhan for so long that he was afraid to talk to him now. And he had so many questions to ask! Why had he disappeared? Why had he not call for so long? What was the matter?

But then, the voice coming from the other line was not Luhan’s. Sehun was confused, and he was about to hang up, but the eagerness of his voice didn’t allow him to.

“What was that?” Kyungsoo asked, sensing that something was wrong. Thankfully, he couldn’t see his face, because Sehun knew that he was as white as a ghost. Should he believe the boy? He felt numb.

“What was that!?” Kyungsoo insisted.

“That was…I don’t know…someone called and told me that Luhan was kidnapped.”

Kyungsoo fell silent. Sehun collapsed on the sofa next to him.

“It’s her.”

“We don’t know that…”

“It’s her!” Kyungsoo yelled. “Call Hyuk! We need to act right now!”

“Kyungsoo calm down!” The boy was shaking. He was searching his pockets desperately for his cell phone.

“Call Hyuk!”

Sehun quickly found Kyungsoo’s phone and dialed Hyuk’s number. Then, he handed it to Kyungsoo.

Sehun then called a taxi and they both rode to the police station. Sehun didn’t trust himself to drive. He was still in shock. He had heard the man on the phone shouting loud cries of pain and a woman’s voice before the line was caught. He knew that the man was telling the truth. But, he was afraid, too afraid to act. If it wasn’t for Kyungsoo, he would probably have still been at the sofa, staring at the wall opposite to him.

“Guys, what are you doing here?” Chanyeol, Baekhyun’s fiancé, jumped up from his desk and smiled at them, a smile that quickly was replaced by the look a worry, after taking a better look of their faces.

“Sehun got a phone call from a man, claiming that he has been kidnapped, and that Sehun’s boyfriend has been kidnapped as well,” Kyungsoo took the lead.

“What do you mean?”

“My friend,” Sehun replied, “has been out of touch for about a month or so. Then, a got a call from his phone by a man that said that he has been taken at that house he has been visiting. He is an antique vendor and he was trying to meet the owners of a country house for months now.”

“Do you know the address?”

Sehun gave Chanyeol the address and his phone, in order to track down the phone call. A group of police officers gathered over them, asking all kinds of questions. Even Baekhyun arrived, fetching sandwiches and asking even more questions.

And with every hour that went by, Sehun realized more and more that all this was real. Luhan had been kidnapped. The police called his family and office and they confirmed that the boy has been announced as missing for a month now and that he was being looked by private detectives. So, apparently, only Sehun was the one that hadn’t figured out that Luhan was in danger. That made him mad with himself. And he was questioning himself. He was treating him as a business partner. He was calling him that, he was reminding him of the nature of their relationship constantly. And, it wasn’t because Luhan had misbehaved or something. But, now he knew, that he was the one to be reminded of that. He wanted to convince himself that that was all that they were. Not friends, not lovers, not strangers either. But he had seen how Luhan looked at him. He had noticed how he was staring at him. And he knew that that night at the gala, he was acting like a jerk.  But his manager had convinced him that he had to appear like he was close to that actress. He needed to promote his new drama, and a mild rumor about a scandal would raise his market value enough to create the anticipation needed. He should have told Luhan that he was coming with a plus one, but he thought that telling him would have been inappropriate. He was afraid that Luhan was going to laugh at him and shove him away. Now he was regretting it. Because what he thought it was fear, it was nothing compared to what he was feeling now.

######

Hyuk felt like his heart was going to erupt. He had been dreaming of the day he would see Hongbin. He hadn’t seen him in the day of light, at least, he couldn’t remember. He only knew him as they were in the dark basement. He still had nightmares of the last time seeing him. He was hanging from the ceiling, bleeding down like a pig that had been butchered. And he was pleading for him to escape. Kyungsoo’s friend had done that as well.

Still, he had countless fantasies, day dreams about their meeting. They would meet in a police station, after him being rescued. Or in a hospital. Or they would meet walking down the street. Hongbin would have found his cakes, had tasted them, and had trucked him down. He would wait for him at the door of the shop, early in the morning, when Hyuk was about to open up. In fact, he was actually looking for Hongbin leaning on the wall next to the door every morning. And every morning, he was getting the same disappointment. But, then again, he had something to hope for. He always had his cell phone in hand, waiting for a phone call that never came. Could Hongbin call him from a payphone, having escaped? But he didn’t know his phone. That’s why, Hyuk visited the police station every week. At first, the police officers were getting more and more irritated by him annoying them when he perfectly well knew that if there was some news on the case, Hyuk would have been the first one to know. But Hyuk felt that he needed to go down the station and remind them of it. However, after a year harassing them, they finally accepted that Hyuk wasn’t going to get tired or discouraged.

He knew deep down that he shouldn’t get his hopes up. It was a long shot that Kyungsoo was right, that his friend’s boyfriend’s kidnapper was connected with Hongbin’s and Jongin’s. But he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stop his heart from racing and his head from spinning. He agreed that he shouldn’t be at the police station, at least until they needed him. He shouldn’t meddle with them and be a bother, when they needed to work in order to save them.

He couldn’t rest though. His hands were shaking and he couldn’t work. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t drink and he certainly couldn’t stay still for a second. What if they found him? What if he was finally going to see him? There were many what ifs. But there was one thing for certain, he still loved him.

######

Jaehyun managed to sneak Taeyong in. They had been walking the streets of the city for hours after their visit to the hospital. At dawn, and after a thousand of texts from Junmyeon, being all exhausted and cold to death, they ended up in Jaehyun’s room, without even noticing it. Taeyong collapsed on the floor, beside the bed and pretended to be sleeping before Jaehyun would have the chance to disagree. They hadn’t said anything for hours. They silently agreed to leave the hospital and start walking. They didn’t say anything and yet they said everything. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said what I did, I didn’t mean any of it, I miss you, I will be there for you…”

Sure enough, Jaehyun knew that Taeyong wasn’t sleeping. He, himself, wasn’t going to. He was thinking of Jungkook. But his tears couldn’t come out anymore. He was done with crying. He was too tired to do so. He felt numbed, tired, depressed. And he felt empty.

Jaehyun climbed down from his bed and lied down on the hard floor. Taeyong looked at him, but didn’t move. Jaehyun got closer to him and wrapped his arms around him. Taeyong didn’t push him away. He slowly raised his own arms and brought it up and around on Jaehyun’s back. Jaehyun inhaled the sent from his hair. It was something familiar, like a Sunday morning at his family’s house. He could feel the warmth of his body against his and somehow, having Taeyong in his arms calmed him and Jaehyun finally fell asleep, sleeping a dreamless sleep.

######

Taehyung knew he should have. His mother told him not to. Actually, she forbidden him to leave the room. But he knew now. Jungkook had come to apologize. But his mother had told him off that day, never allowing him to enter. Taehyung was mad at him. He was hurt and disappointed. He thought that he and Jungkook were friends. But he didn’t hate him. He knew where he was coming from. He didn’t blame him. But he wished that he had acted differently. He wished that Jungkook wasn’t part of that gang, that he could be his friend that he wasn’t afraid of them, that he didn’t feel so less.

If she had allowed him to come in that day, maybe he wouldn’t have tried to kill himself. Maybe he hadn’t decided to die. Taehyung wasn’t going to forgive him easily, but he wanted to see him. He realized now that the last image of the boy was when he was getting beaten. He didn’t want to have that image of him in his head, looking at him all sorry and pitiful.

But, looking at him now, was worse. Jungkook was pale, at the parts of his body that weren’t purple from the bruises, or angry red from the injuries. He had a huge tube down his throat and the machines all around him were beeping and blinking, creating the impression that Jungkook was a cyborg. Part from that, he actually looked like he was sleeping, even though his chest wasn’t moving to prove that he was breathing. And the multiple little tubes going connecting his body to the machines leaked blood and white fluid, dripping down the floor.

Taehyung tried to look away from that and concentrated on Jungkook’s face. His expression at least was peaceful, just like the boy Taehyung could see surfacing from the bad boy image when he was reading the textbooks Taehyung had given him to study. He then chewed the upper part of his pen, his dark eyes flying over the pages. Now, those eyes were closed, their thick, black eyelashes shading shadows on his cheeks.

Taehyung took one of Jungkook’s hands in his two palms and squeezed it, as he tried to restrain his tears, with no result. He wondered if that would wake him up. Would Jungkook feel the pressure and respond, opening his eyes wide open? But the boy didn’t respond, seating still as a statue.

“Please,” Taehyung whispered, his voice husky. “Please, wake up. I am not mad anymore. So, please wake up. We can still hang out.”

Taehyung was crying now, finding it difficult to breathe between his tears and the huge rock that had stuck in his throat and pressed his chest so hard, that he felt his heart was going to break.

“Please, Jungkook. I forgive you. So, please, wake up.”

Taehyung didn’t know how long he was there over Jungkook, begging him to open his eyes for him. He was forced to leave after a nurse came in and reminded him that it was late and that he should be resting.

Taehyung went back to his room and cried all night. His mother had fallen asleep when he had left, and she didn’t wake up when he returned. Taehyung knew that she was tired. She was shocked when she found him all beaten up in a hospital and she had went to the school and demanded that the bullies would be expelled. She even went so far as to go and ask the kids of the class who were the bullies and who were their friends. So, she must have known who Jungkook was. She maybe have known him before that as well. She always told Taehyung to keep studying and keep away from all those who ranked at the bottom of the class. She said that he was better off without them, that they would only waste his time, that he was meant to go to a good university and that they couldn’t understand that.

Taehyung used to believe that. That they didn’t understand him and that they only bullied him and made fun of him. But, he also was not allowed to do other things other than studying. He used to think that that was the right thing to do as well. But he loved music and art and he felt like he was finding himself in them. However, his mother disapproved of them, and so he had to keep them a secret from her. Which made it even more fun to indulged in them. So, his mother was wrong about that. Could she have been wrong about his other classmates as well? Taehyung often thought of that. And then he started hanging out with Jungkook. And the things that he enjoyed doing by himself, now he enjoyed them even more with Jungkook. So, he kept him a secret as well. But maybe she knew.

Taehyung yelled at her and blamed her for what had happened to Jungkook. He shouted about how she was wrong, about always making him study all night and blamed her for making him a loner with no friends and an easy prey for the bullies. He accused her for not letting him do anything that he truly wanted to do and then he told her that it was her dreams that she wanted to fulfill not his. She listened to him without saying anything. She just stood there and took it all in.

“You are upset about what happened to that boy. I understand. You will be your usual self as soon as you are out of this hospital and back to school,” she said and she left the room. Taehyung got even angrier by that. But he didn’t say more to her after that. He just waited for her to fall asleep, in order to visit Jungkook. But seeing him made all so real. He knew now that his friend, the only friend he ever had, was dying. And there was nothing he could do to save him.

######

The room smelled of piss and mold. Which was strange, as the hospital was not used for a decade or more. The hallways were dark and full of dust and rotting equipment. Luhan couldn’t figure out where she had found it, or how she had managed to move them there so quickly. She just burst into the room where she had dumped him after she had been torturing him in the bathroom. She grabbed him from the neck so quick that Luhan didn’t have the time to even react. She then pressed a wet napkin on his mouth and nose.  Luhan woke up in the wet room that had only a florescence lamp to light up the whole room. The two broken beds were occupied by Taeil and Jongin already, and Luhan was on the floor. But he didn’t really care about that. The one thing that really concerned him was the absence of Hongbin. What had happened to him? Had she left him behind? Had she killed him?

“What happened?” Luhan asked, his voice echoing into the creepy room.

“Don’t know,” Taeil cried.

“She moved us. She does that when she feels that she is being threatened,” Jongin replied.

“Where’s Hongbin?”

“Don’t know. But maybe he was the reason why she moved us.”

“Then, could she…”

“She might,” Jongin agreed. He looked pale in the cold dim light.

Luhan got up, but he fell on the floor again. His legs weren’t able to support him yet. He didn’t know if it was due to the medicine or because of the torture he had received earlier. In any case, he crawled to the wall and supported himself up. The walls were cold and sticky, but Luhan tried to ignore that and slowly reached the door. She didn’t expect it to be open, but maybe she was careless today because of the sudden move. However, that was not the case. She had locked the door alright and the two windows that existed were too high and had bars covering them. Through their dusty glasses Luhan could see that it was night time.

“How long have we been here?” Luhan asked, hoping that the others were better informed than him. He had woken up after them, but he knew that they probably knew as much as he did.

“I guess that this would be our new place,” Taeil complained, ignoring Luhan’s question.

“Most likely,” Jongin answered, but Luhan could see the difference in his voice now. He had something new. He had hope.

######

Sehun had followed the police cars, though he knew he shouldn’t. But, he felt like he had to. Plus, Kyungsoo wanted to go and he didn’t take no for an answer. He drove behind them till they reached a small, farm road. Kyungsoo started complaining about the bumpiness of the road, but soon enough they finally stopped in front of huge western style mansion. Sehun knew immediately that that was the place. He knew that that was the type of building that would interest Luhan. So, the guy in the phone was not lying.

A legion of police officers swamp out of the cars and created a chain around the house. The sergeant knocked at the door, but no one answered. Then, they  started moving towards the house, their guns ready to shoot.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Chanyeol said, as soon as Sehun stepped out of the car.

“Shouldn’t you be there at the front?” Sehun replied.

“I’m not allowed to do so yet,” Chanyeol confessed. “Plus, Baekhyun would kill me if I do.”

“She’s tricky and extremely dangerous,” Kyungsoo said.

“We have about twenty men with us. She’s outnumbered.”

“She is tricky,” Kyungsoo replied. And he was right. A few hours later, the police officers started coming out of the house, having found none in.

“I told you,” Kyungsoo cried. “She knew we were coming and moved them.”

“If she did, she can’t have taken them far,” Chanyeol said.

 

“Was this the place?” Sehun asked, hoping to confirm that the man at the phone was wrong.

“We found rooms covered with blood and traces of struggle. This is the place,” Chanyeol said, clearly terrified by what he had seen.

“In any case, we should head back,” he added and forced them to go back into the car and drive home. He told them that the police detectives and lab should take care of the rest and that he would call them as soon as he had something new on the case. Kyungsoo yelled at him and called him all the names under the sky. He actually didn’t stop cursing until they reached Seoul. He then demanded to take him to Hyuk’s bakery. Sehun felt too numbed to do else. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around it yet. But now he knew that Luhan was there. And he finally understood Kyungsoo. He understood how he felt, having everyone telling him that he should not do anything and just wait for the police to do something. He understood how helpless and desperate he felt, knowing that he should do something, that time was ticking backwards towards his loved one’s death. And yet, he couldn’t.

It was around midnight, when Sehun couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t stay with Kyungsoo and Hyuk, watching the news and waiting for their phone to ring.

“Where are you going?” Hyuk jumped up, as soon as Sehun started wearing his coat.

“I am going back there. I’m going to see it for myself.”

“You can’t. It’s dangerous.”

“She can’t be that unbeatable.”

“You don’t know anything. She is wicked. She is dangerous.”

“You have to listen to him,” Kyungsoo added. “He has escaped her.”

“So, she isn’t that strong after all.”

“She can kill you. Or worse.”

“Hyuk,” Kyungsoo said. “Let him go.”

“What?”

“She won’t be there. She’s busy running.”

“Kyungsoo, she will take him. And then, we won’t see him again,” Hyuk said, terrified. Sehun understood. He understood them both. But he had to do it.

“I’m sorry, Hyuk,” he said.

“Please, don’t. The police won’t be there anymore. You’ll be alone.”

“Hyuk, let him go.”

“Okay,” the boy finally gave up, wiping his tears. “Just, one second.” He disappeared into his room. The sound of shuffling followed and then Hyuk rushed out of the room again. He grabbed Sehun’s arm and handcuffed something metallic around it.

“It’s for luck. Promise us you won’t take it off,” he said. Sehun just nodded. He didn’t even bother to look on what the boy had worn him. His heart was beating fast, as he got into his car and drove back to the mansion. His phone kept ringing. Probably the police. Or, rather, Junmyeon who was checking on him. He must have been going crazy worrying about him and Kyungsoo. Had either of them bothered to call him and fill him in on what was happening? Sehun couldn’t remember. He didn’t have time or energy to care either.

He drove and drove for what it seemed like forever. His heart was beating so fast that it actually hurt. He was thinking about Luhan and her. He had heard about her from Kyungsoo and Hyuk. Hyuk actually had met her, had suffered from her. Before, Sehun thought that maybe Hyuk was a bit of blowing everything out of propulsion. He was under strong medicine most of the time and he was scared and panicked. It would have been easy to confuse reality from a nightmare. But now, Sehun started to think that Hyuk might have been right all along.

Finally he arrived at the mansion. It was dark, as the nearest neighbored house was a few miles away. Plus, the moon was still at its first phases. Sehun used his phone to shine his way up the stairs. The door was blocked by police tape, but it wasn’t locked. Sehun carefully stepped over it. He didn’t want to have trouble with the police.

Inside, the house was huge and creepy. It had that western aristocratic house vibe, with the entrance opening straight on a big staircase that lead up to the main rooms. Sehun bet that there were the rooms for the help at the basement. He headed up the stairs to the bedrooms. He was hoping of finding her bedroom or her office or her rooms where she kept her plans. Maybe she had left something there. She was in a rush, so she couldn’t have acted that perfectly.

Sehun walked into the first room he encountered. He shone light in it, without entering it. He was crept out already by the mansion, but what he saw inside terrified beyond control.  The room was occupied by two beds made from iron. They had no mattresses, but their metallic skeletons were bathed with dried blood. The blood stains were spitted on the walls as well and the floor had big pools of it. Sehun remembered what Kyungsoo had told him one day, when he was having one of those episodes of hysteria where he screamed and cried and pinned his nails in the flesh of his cheeks. Among his delusions, he yelled about a room full of chemicals. Her twisted lab, where she had attacked him. Here, there were no jars with acid chemicals. But there were sergeant tools.  Where they the same as those Kyungsoo had used to protect himself?

Sehun gathered the little courage he had left and kept going. He kept Luhan on his mind, suffering in her hands, crying for him to save him. The idea of him kept him going, as he explored one horror room after the other. He threw up after he entered a bathroom that had the smell of rotten flesh. But it wasn’t that smell that weakened his stomach. He saw hair on the floor. He knew it was Luhan’s. That made everything real. Hyuk’s warnings came back loud and clear. She was dangerous. Because she was crazy. Or, she missed that part that made someone human.

Sehun’s cheeks were wet as moved on. Luhan was going through all this horrors and he, instead of protecting him, thought that had gone back to China and forgotten all about him.

Sehun felt dizzy. He was exhausted and horrified and scared. His legs barely supported him. He took a deep breath and leaned on the wall for a few seconds. He closed his eyes, trying to control his weakness. When he opened them again, he was on the floor. His mouth tasted like blood and his head hurt. He got up, trying to place his phone. But the device wasn’t there. Had it fell in a hole or something? He looked around. Like waking up from a dream, he slowly took in his surroundings. The hallway wasn’t like it was before. It was longer and narrower, and the walls white, the ceiling shorter.

Sehun started walking again. His mind couldn’t make sense of what was happening. He was dizzy and then closed his eyes and when he opened them he wasn’t in the mansion anymore. He walked and then started running and running faster and faster. He heard a sharp laughter filling up corridor, coming loud and clear from everywhere.

“Run, run white rabbit,” a female voice said. “Run, but there is no way out. You’re mine now.”

Sehun knew that it was her. Was she back? Had she gotten him? How? When? He didn’t know. He kept running. His legs hurt. He was out of breath. Her laughter was bringing chills down his spine. He saw a dim light coming from a room. He ran to it. He didn’t know whether it was her or a trap. His mind had gone numb by fear. He was only functioning on his instincts now. And they were telling him to go to the light, like a butterfly to the flame.

Sehun press his body at the door. It was locked. The light was coming from the dirty window of the door. Sehun tried to look into the room through it. He had to clear the window from the dust with his sleeve to get a better look. But the window from the inside was dirty as well. Then he saw someone cleaning the inside surface as well with quick movements. Sehun pressed his forehead on the glass. And then his breath was caught. Because the face that appeared from the other side was Luhan’s.

“Luhan! Luhan! Are you okay?” Sehun screamed, punching the door loudly.

“Sehun!” Luhan was crying. “How?”

“I don’t know,” Sehun admitted. He could see now that two other boys had gathered to the door to look at him. One face was reminded him of something.

“Shit, Jongin!” Sehun cried. “You’re alive!”

“Why are you here?” the other boy asked. He didn’t look like the guy he had met long time ago in college. He looked tired and thinner and sick. So did Luhan.

“I’ll get you out of there,” Sehun said.

“And who’s going to get you out of here,” her voice echoed through the corridor. She was listening to them. She was probably watching them as well.

“Where are we?” Sehun asked, looking around him, trying to make out some short of furniture to use to break the window.

“A hospital. Or something like that,” Luhan replied.

“Has she taken your phone?” Jongin asked.

“Probably. I can’t find it.”

“Listen, you have to keep moving,” Luhan said. “There’s another guy in here somewhere. You have to find him. He might be injured.”

“I won’t leave you,” Sehun insisted. “I’ll get you out.”

“You can’t. You have to find a way out.”

Sehun had seen that before. When Jongin was taken by her, he asked Kyungsoo to leave him behind and save himself. Hongbin had asked Hyuk to don’t look back and keep going. Now, Luhan was doing the same. He was asking him to leave him behind and save himself, just like the other boys had done. He might think that that was the best, but, in reality, the boys that were saved never really escaped. How can you live when you know that you left someone behind?

“I’m not leaving you,” Sehun said firmly.

“You’re not leaving us for good. You can go and inform the police…”

“You know that that’s not true. If I leave now, I will never see you again.”

Luhan didn’t reply. Jongin didn’t meet his eyes. Both of them knew that he was right. They let him search around for a while, with no result, of course. The only thing he managed to find was a broken wheel chair. He lifted it up, though he was still weak, and smashed it on the door. Sure enough, the wheel chair was the only thing affected, breaking into millions of pieces.

“It’s no use. You can’t open the door, unless you have the key,” Jongin said.

“And where will I find it?” Sehun snapped back.

“You can’t. She has it,” Luhan replied.

“Then, I’ll find her,” Sehun said and started running down the hallway again. He could hear the voices of the boys fainting out, begging him to stop. Sehun ignored them. He was scared, but he was even more scared about Luhan. He knew that he couldn’t do much, but he could do what others hadn’t. Kyungsoo and Hyuk had fled. Sehun was going to face her.

He ran for what seemed like hours. He hoped to find a staircase or something that led to the security room. If she was watching them, she should be controlling the cameras. But, Sehun couldn’t even navigate where he was going, let alone finding her. He stopped to take a breath.  He knew that she was observing him, probably being entertained by his helplessness. So, if he could go to her, he should make her come to him.

“I know you can see me,” Sehun cried. “Aren’t you tired of this game? Come and take me then. Unless you understand that you can’t.”

Sehun could hear his pulse in his ears. Had she heard him? All this was starting to feel like a nightmare, like those horror dreams that made no sense and yet, you couldn’t wake up no matter how much you wanted to.

Then her laugher crept into the darkness.

“Sweetie, you can’t win this game of yours. But, I like it that you are feisty.”

“That still doesn’t prove anything.”

“Well, well, well, you want to meet me that desperately, huh? But, we will have all the time in the world to get to know each other.”

Sehun was desperate. He was trying to provoke her, but with no result.

“You don’t want to know me. Because I’m not like the others. I won’t stand here and let you toy with me.”

“Those are ambitious words my boy. But, you are forgetting something. You are mine now.”

Sehun felt cold terror coming down his body as he heard that last words. But he shouldn’t give up now.

“If I’m yours then why am I still walking around freely? Why I’m not in a room, locked up like the others?”

“You think you’re free? You’re like a mouse in a maze. You’re looking for the cheese in the centre. But, the problem is that I’ve got the cheese. Anyway, you are right. I’m tired of this little game of hour. I have more important things to deal with.”

“Like what?” Sehun started panicking. He was losing her. If she stopped talking to him, then he would miss his chance of defeating her.

“Our family is growing. I’m happy, but I can’t keep you all. One of you should go.”

“No!” Sehun yelled. He started running back to where Luhan’s room was. He knew he couldn’t remember the way back. He was blind, a mouse, like she had said. He knew what she was planning. She was going to kill one of them. Most likely Luhan. So, he had to reach them first. They were weak. But, he was new. He hadn’t gone through all the tortures they had been through for so much time.

Sehun ran and ran, but the corridor stayed the same, dark and wet. And then, he saw something in front of him. Movement. He wasn’t sure at first. He only could see something dark moving in the hallway in front of him. He couldn’t even make out of the shape. But, there was no doubt. It was her and she must have been moving them. Sehun gathered all the energy he had and he rushed full speed straight on the dark mace.  

He hit her hard. They both rolled on the floor, due to the impact. Sehun’s head was about to explode. He tried to get up, but he felt something heavy pressing him down. In the darkness, he could only see her eyes, glowing in paranoia and anger. He had pissed her off.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she spat on him. Sehun tried to roll over and get on top. But she pressed something metallic on his chest, and then Sehun felt hot pain. She had teasered him. Sehun could hardly breathe. His limps were all numbed and he was paralyzed to the ground, as she wrapped her cold hands around his throat. Sehun felt his blood rushing to his head, as he gasped for air. The pain along with the panic were a lethal mixture. He tried to move his arms, to knock her off him, but he couldn’t. So, this was the end, he thought.

 Sehun started seeing back spots, when the pressure around his neck stopped. He took in the air greedily. Each breath was painful, but left a taste of sweetness after the deprivation of it. He still couldn’t move, but he felt something warm and liquid crawling down his neck. He looked up. He could see her face now. A sharp light was shone straight on her face. Her features were ugly, like a plastic mask having melted because it was left to close to the fire. Her skin was almost greenish. Sehun stared at her face for a moment. And the next second, her head blew up, blood spitting everywhere, flesh flying around like a firework bursting into the dark sky. Her dead body fell on him and Sehun closed his eyes. He didn’t want to watch anymore. He kept his eyes closed as he felt his body being moved. He heard people talking, people shouting.

Then cold wind was hitting his bare face. Sehun opened his eyes. He closed them again, because of the white light that was hurting him. He opened them up again and looked around. He was inside of something, lying on a bed. He burst up. He felt dizzy because of the sudden movement, but he was supported by someone, so he didn’t fall back. He was in an ambulance. The door was opened and Sehun could see outside. There was a big, dark building towering over them, from which, policemen dressed in black uniforms were swarming out.

“Sir, you should lie back down,” a doctor next to him said.

“What happened?” Sehun asked, ignoring her advice.

“You have been rescued. You are safe now,” she tried to assure him, but Sehun had already taken off the RV and rushed outside. Police officers passed by him. Reporters were broadcasting live behind of a police barrack.

“Sehun, Sehun!” Sehun heard Junmyeon calling his name. He was at the barrack, being blocked by two policemen. Sehun waved at them and they let him pass. He walked slowly towards him. He still couldn’t move freely and he felt pain every time he took a breath. Junmyeon crushed on him and hugged him so tight and Sehun felt like he was being asphyxiated again.

“What happened?” Sehun asked, when Junmyeon finally released him.

“You tell me! I couldn’t get a hold of you all day and then I get a phone call from Chanyeol that you have been kidnapped after visiting a crime scene late at night!”

“How did they find us?”

“They trucked you down. Apparently, Hyuk had given you one of those bracelets the police had given him to wear when he first had been found, to keep track on him and protect him if she ever came after him again. They used it to find you.”

Sehun looked at the bracelet that Hyuk had handcuffed on him earlier. He hadn’t taken a look at it till now, or else he would have figured that it was one of those truckers, as it was big and black and plastic.

“Where is Luhan?”

“Taken to the hospital.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s alive.”

“And what about her?”

“They killed her. She was trying to kill you, and they shot her.”

Sehun felt weak again. Junmyeon helped him back in the ambulance.

“Take me to the hospital. I want to see him,” Sehun said, as he lied down.

######

Hyuk ran down the hallway, his heart ready to burst. He was almost hit by three cars on his way to the hospital. He knew he should be careful and stay alive. The moment he waited for years had finally arrived. He didn’t want to miss it because he was too inpatient.

Hyuk found the room. It was guarded by two police officers. They both smiled when they saw him and opened the door. They knew who he was. And they knew that they finally had good news for him.

Hyuk entered the room slowly. Now that the time had come, he felt scared. He didn’t know why. He should be thrilled, not terrified. He took a deep breath and approached the bed. The face he was longing to see for so long was calmly asleep. Hyuk didn’t remember Hongbin looking like that. He was thinner, and he had his nose broken, along with one of his cheekbones. Hyuk tried to pinpoint the familiar features. Through the years, his memory of him and alienated his features. Was Hyuk in love with a ghost, a man he had created in his dreams and twisted memories of that nightmare he had been through? But when Hongbin opened his eyes and smiled at him, all his doubts and fear vanished. Because the boy smiling at him was his Hongbin. And he was his Hyuk. Their life and finally started to begin.

######

Kyungsoo took his time to go to the hospital. The playboy had been torturing him for years. He could wait for him a little. Junmyeon drove him to the hospital, as Sehun was still being treated and Hyuk was staying with Hongbin. He didn’t mind Junmyeon taking him there, but he wanted to be alone when he met Jongin.

Kyungsoo was strangely calm. He should have been excited, or at least scared. But he didn’t feel anything. If nothing, he felt numb. He was silent in the car, even though Junmyeon tried multiple times to start the conversation.

When they finally arrived, Junmyeon took him in and he even opened the door for him, but he didn’t follow him in. As Kyungsoo entered the room, he wished that for a few seconds, just a few, he had his vision back. He wanted to see his face. The last memory of him was when he was under her control, changed by pain and fear.

Kyungsoo walked slowly, using his hands to navigate his way. He could only see a white, blurry light and grey objects here and there. Still, it was better than before, when he was in an endless darkness, like he was standing at the ledge of the void, looking down in it.

“Kyungsoo.” He had heard his name a thousand times. He heard his friends saying it between tears. He heard his teachers saying it, when they were trying to convince him that he wasn’t good enough to dream big. But, only when Jongin called his name, he felt this trigger, warm and soothing.

Kyungsoo was calm coming here. He felt numb walking inside. But, hearing him calling his name finally started the tears. Kyungsoo stopped where he was and cried.

“Kyungsoo.” It was the first time he thought on how Jongin was going to react looking at him. He had changed. He knew he had scars on his face. He had depression, panic attacks and a ruined future. He wasn’t the boy he fell in love with. He was different. And yet, when he called his name, he felt like he was that college student again.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin said and Kyungsoo felt his hand grabbing his. His skin was warm. Jongin brought Kyungsoo’s hand over his face and let him touch it. Kyungsoo had a big lamp in his throat. He couldn’t say anything. And he wanted to say so many things to him.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin said again. This time, it sounded like he was crying too. He brought Kyungsoo down and helped him lie next to him. Kyungsoo laid his head on his chest, taking in his warmth, his scent, his heartbeat. He recognized them and he knew that they were his.

######

It was pain and numbness. That was the feeling he had. And his eyes. He couldn’t open them. He tried. He tried again. They were heavy. But he felt like he had to. He didn’t know how long he tried to but he finally lifted those eye leads. The harsh light blinded him for a few minutes, but he finally managed to adjust and look around. Was he in a hospital room? He tried to move. He found out that it was more difficult than he thought. He had tubes pinning him down. He started to panic.

“Jungkook?” Taehyung materialized just over him.

“Jungkook!” he cried again, cupping his face with his both hands.

“You are awake!” he said, tears appearing in his big eyes.

“Why…what’s happening?” Jungkook asked, feeling his throat dry. Things started slowly coming back to him. He remembered Taehyung being punched by his friends and him betraying him, coming to the hospital to see him but him refusing to meet him, deciding to finish things off with his friends, crossing the road, the light coming straight on him, the crush…

“You have been in a coma,” Taehyung explained, while trying to find the beeper to call the doctors.

“For how long?”

“It’s been a while,” Taehyung replied.

“Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” Taehyung laughed. Jungkook wanted to smile, but his face was too buffed to allow him that movement. He felt though like the old days, when they could hang out like friends. It actually looked like they were good again, but Jungkook remembered that things were in fact different.

“Taehyung, I’m sorry for what…”

“For what?” Taehyung interrupted him. “For letting your friends beat me? I know there wasn’t much you could have done. I was mad at you at first, but I thought about it and even if you have said that we were friends, it wouldn’t have changed anything. They would have beaten us up both. So, it was better that way. But, you trying to kill yourself, that’s not something I can justify nor forgive you that easily.”

Jungkook looked at Taehyung confused, but just then the doctors and nurses rushed in. Taehyung was asked to leave then, as the doctors started asking tons of questions one after the other. Jungkook only managed to get a glimpse of Taehyung as he was disappearing through the door. The boy wasn’t wearing the hospital gown.

######

Jaehyun rushed to the hospital. He was there just the previous day to visit Sehun, who was getting discharged. He had visited Jungkook as well that day. The doctors had told him then that the boy’s body was giving up and that the chances to wake up were now close to zero. Then, how come Taeyong called him that day and announced that he had woken up?

Jaehyun still couldn’t believe it. He had to see the boy with his own eyes to finally realize that he was back. He was surrounded by his friends and parents and looked happy, even though he still had to recover from his near to death state.

“Jae, come in!” Taeyong called him as soon as he spotted him at the door. He looked even happier than Jungkook.

“You remember Jaehyun, don’t you?” he asked Jungkook, as he grabbed Jaehyun by the arm and pulled him closer to the bed.

Jungkook looked at Jaehyun. “Of course I remember him. I was in a coma, I didn’t have amnesia,” Jungkook complained.

“I’m glad you are okay,” Jaehyun said.

“Thank you. I’ve heard you have been taking care of Taeyong,” Jungkook said and Taeyong got all red.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Taehyung told me.  All the school knows that you’re the hot couple now. Which is a relief, because you have been behaving like my mother ever since I woke up. I couldn’t have stand you treating me like a baby for the rest of the school year.”

“I’ll still treat you like a baby, even if I’m dating someone.”

“Jaehyun,” Jungkook turned to him, his eyes big and innocent. “Please save me!”

“You brought this on yourself,” Jaehyun laughed. “There’s nothing I can do.”

Jaehyun was afraid that Jungkook would have found Taeyong and his new situation odd and awkward. But it turned out that the boy was okay with it. Things had just turned out naturally for them. Like everything, without saying anything, they just became a couple. Jaehyun was afraid at first that it was because they were sad and they had to be together to go through it. But, that wasn’t the case. He knew now that he loved the school’s bad boy and that he loved him, the school’s popular golden boy.

######

It has been six months since the incident. And yet, Sehun still felt like it had happened yesterday. So many things had changed. Kyungsoo was living now with Jongin in their own apartment for a month now and they seemed to be making things work. Jongin started the vetting school again. He was going fine, although he had to attend therapy just like Hyuk and Hongbin had. Kyungsoo continued his therapy for his eyes and he claimed that he was getting better. Maybe, after some time, he might gain some of his eye sight back.

As for Luhan, he had seen him only once, after the incident. He had visited his room at the hospital, but he couldn’t stay long, nor talk to him, as the room was filled with his dad’s bodyguards. The next day, he was moved to China, and Sehun didn’t hear from him since.

He, himself, decided to forget everything and focus on his career. The news of him being kidnapped had made his name the hottest topic online and the most searched name in the search engines. His manager suggested taking some time off, but he wanted to keep himself occupied. So, he agreed to play in two dramas and to join every variety show that wanted him as guest. He even presented one on his own. His popularity grew and he was asked to more magazines and advertisements than before. In the back of his mind, he hoped that this popularity will cross the boarders to China and that Luhan would see him and maybe call him.

Till now, he hadn’t.

“You were really good today. You should think about modeling,” Sehun told that famous dancer, Jimin, he did a photoshoot with.

“I don’t think I’m good enough,” the boy complained.

“Why? You’re handsome, you have a great body and a beautiful smile,” Sehun said.

“Keep your hands of him!” someone barked from behind them and Sehun stopped smiling immediately. A guy with white skin and dark, brown hair looked at him aggressively, while grabbing Jimin by the hand. “That’s my boyfriend you’re sweet talking to!”

Sehun didn’t have time to reply, as the guy dragged Jimin away, yelling at him about having to deal with idiots like Sehun, and Jimin denying everything.

“You’re free for the rest of the day,” Namjoon announced Sehun, after handing him his coffee.

“Are you sure? Didn’t we have that director’s meeting?”

“Canceled. One of the main actresses pulled out and they have to find a new one. They rescheduled it for next week.”

Sehun thanked his manager and let him off for the day as well. He started cataloguing the options he had to spend the afternoon. Junmyeon had to work, Kyungsoo had a rehab meeting, Taeyong was probably busy with school, and visiting his parents would have taken him about a day for the transportation.  He was thinking of getting a dog for some months now, but kept postponing it. He kept considering his long and odd working hours that would have made it difficult to raise a pet.

Sehun walked slowly to his car. He could use the time to rest, though he preferred not to. When he was on his own, he his mind kept torturing him about that night and about Luhan. All these months he didn’t managed to forget about him, and his regrets grew more and more every day. He had saved him at least, and that was something he was proud of. He wanted to do something good for him, even though now he couldn’t see him anymore.

“Sehun?”

Sehun turned around. He was used to meeting fans everywhere now. They managed to find him even to his work place these days. Sehun was considering hiring a body guard just in case. But this was no fan calling him. It was Luhan, standing on the other side of the parking lot, suited up. Was this some kind of post trauma illusions?  Sehun had refused psychological treatment, as he believed that what had happened to him wasn’t worthy of a rehab session. Was he wrong? Was the past coming back to haunt him?

“Sehun,” Luhan said again and walked slowly towards him, as Sehun wasn’t able to move.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Sehun managed to say. “Are you here for real?”

“We have a dept to settle, remember?”

“What dept?”

“You broke that vase. You still haven’t paid for it. Did you think that saving my life would have covered it?” Luhan said and smiled.

“So, you’re here for that vase thing?” Sehun asked, a little hurt.

“I’m actually staying in Korea. My dad made me the manager of our new Korean brunch, so my base is here now. Which means, I won’t be leaving you alone, not for one instance!”

“I’m counting on that,” Sehun said and smiled, as he pulled the boy closer to him and kissed him. Luhan was surprised at first, but kissed him back as well. Sehun then knew that that was the end of their business agreement.

#####

BONUS

Mark’s screams could be heard across the Pacific.

“So, you’re saying that you knew him all along!”

Jaehyun nodded and ducked to avoid a flying book that aimed his head.

“And you actually lived with him! Like, in the same house!”

“We also hang out from time to time. He had lunch with me and Taeyong a lot of times.”

“Wait, Taeyong knows him too?”

“They work together. I think they even have the same manager.”

Mark’s face turned hot pink. He looked like he was holding his breath.

“You’re dead, Jaehyun. You’re dead!”

“But, I asked him and he agrees to meet you. Can’t that help a little to delay my death sentence?”

Mark seemed like he was hit by a rock. He stayed still, taking in deep breaths.

“Sehun is going to meet me? For real?”

“Yes,” Jaehyun said and smiled.

“You’re still dead,” Mark said, his hands shaking from excitement.  “I’m just letting you off this time.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!!!!!!


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